THOUGH the day was grey and cold on Teesside, it was also reassuring. The old game retains its ability to warm us, and through a wonderfully engaging battle, two conclusions can be reached: Arsenal aren’t good enough to challenge for the title; and with his young passing team, Gareth Southgate is becoming an Arsène Wenger of the northeast.

The game sizzled for the first 45 minutes and 27,000 hardy souls were treated to a little gem of punch and counter-punch football. By the end of the half each team had scored and there was the promise of more. Alas, Boro couldn’t sustain the pace at which they had set out, and long before the end they were playing for the draw they would deservedly get.

Arsenal are a different kettle of smoked cod. Wenger seemed relatively comfortable with the result and although he lamented the chances his team missed in the first half, he said drawing away to Middlesbrough was not the result that loses you the Premier League. But Arsenal are losing one. Wenger’s young Gunners aren’t playing with conviction, and through a second half that they mostly controlled, they created few clear-cut chances.

It is also true that Arsenal met Boro at the end of a murderous week for the home side. Their regular full-backs, Justin Hoyte and Andrew Taylor, pulled out injured and David Wheater was suspended. When a small squad lose three of their back four, their manager can hardly be expected to sleep. Southgate recalled Chris Riggott and Robert Huth, who had been on the sidelines for seven weeks, while Tony McMahon was given his first start for 2 and a half years.

Remarkably, Boro defended majestically. Huth was jittery for 30 minutes but came through in the end. McMahon and Riggott were excellent. Emanuel Pogatetz was, as he so often is, the heart of Boro. When he first came to the club, he was considered something of a “mad dog” and went by that nickname. The years have brought more maturity and it says something that Southgate made him captain.

As he did last weekend at Hull, the Austrian needed painkilling injections in his shoulder to play yesterday. With his desire, however, there would not have been a second thought. It is this quality, this defiant, never-say-die spirit, that is lacking at Arsenal.

Without the injured Theo Walcott and Samir Nasri, Arsenal had Denilson and Abou Diaby in the wide positions, and neither is comfortable in that role. There are also problems in defence, where Johan Djourou is now the team’s best central defender, yet is a young man learning his trade.

Given that they had only six first-teamers training last week, you sensed that Boro couldn’t afford to concede early, which is precisely what they did. Cesc Fabregas’s corner found Emmanuel Adebayor pretty much alone five yards from goal, football suicide by another name. Distracted by Diaby’s run, Huth lost his position and from there the goal was a formality.

Boro reacted magnificently. Julio Arca and the outstanding Didier Digard fought for control of the midfield and won. Every Boro player chased and harried. When McMahon blocked Gael Clichy’s clearance, the ball broke to Tuncay, who whipped his delivery across goal for Jeremie Aliadiere to dive low in front of William Gallas and head a fine goal against his old team.

Seven minutes later, Clichy’s stupid tackle caught Adam Johnson’s right foot. Referee Peter Walton didn’t think it was a penalty, a view he will change if he watches a replay. The closest either team came to a winner was Stewart Downing’s crashing volley that drew a fine save from Manuel Almunia.

A final observation concerns the composition of Middlesbrough’s squad. It contained eight players from the club’s academy, four in the first 11 and four on the bench. There was also a £13m striker on that bench and a £6m striker who hasn’t been good enough to get into the team this season. Food for thought in these recessionary times.

MIDDLESBROUGH: Turnbull 6, McMahon 6, Riggott 6, Huth 6, Pogatetz 6, Johnson 7 (Emnes 90min), Digard 8 (Shawky 90min), Arca 7, Downing 6, Tuncay 6, Aliadiere 7

ARSENAL: Almunia 7, Sagna 6, Gallas 6, Djourou 6, Clichy 6, Denilson 5, Fabregas 7, Song 6, Diaby 4 (Bendtner 82min), Van Persie 5, Adebayor 6