SUBSTITUTE John Hartson was sent off in the 89th minute in a bizarre post script to an easy Arsenal victory in which Ian Wright scored his 200th league goal after Dutch star Dennis Bergkamp lit up Highbury with a majestic 15th minute strike.

Wright now starts a three match suspension and Wales striker Hartson, the man earmarked to replace him, also faces a three match ban. Hartson was first booked for dissent by referee Mike Reed, who then flashed a red card just seconds later when the 21 year old former Luton forward continued a furious protest.

Arsenal by then were coasting to their first victory in five games and should have at least doubled their first half lead when Paul Merson and the otherwise brilliant Bergkamp spurned easy chances.

In the end, they were grateful to see Middlesbrough's £7 million Italian striker Fabrizio Ravanelli hit the bar with a 78th minute penalty, generously awarded for a challenge on him by Steve Bould.

That completed a dismal day for manager Bryan, Robson, who made his first senior appearance in nearly a year just 10 days short of his 40th birthday.

And it was only his experience and guile which prevented Middlesbrough's poor defence being torn apart by the rampant home team, who dominated long stretches of a one sided game.

Bergkamp's stunning 18 yard volley sparked a first half of utter dominance by Arsenal but it was Steve Vickers's faulty header which set up the chance, after the defender was panicked into error by Wright's challenge for Martin Keown's lofted through ball.

And just seconds before halftime, Danish striker Mikkel Beck also did severe damage in his own penalty box.

Under pressure from Ray Parlour, he headed Merson's cross straight to Wright, who gratefully lobbed it beyond Gary Walsh before celebrating his 200th league strike with cuddles for the customers in the North Bank.

Bookings for Parlour and nimble French midfielder Remi Garde were the only blots on Arsenal's smooth first half display.

Wright was inches away from converting Patrick Vieira's cross after the lanky French Under 21 international won a crunching tackle with Craig Liddle.

And Middlesbrough's ineffectiveness in attack was highlighted by a pair of Ravanelli free kicks which flew yards off target.

It took them nearly 25 minutes to raise even a semblance of a threat on the Arsenal goal when Parlour slipped to let in Beck for a half hearted shot which goalkeeper John Lukic made a meal of stopping.

. Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger promised an inquest after John Hartson became the fourth Arsenal player to be sent off in eight games.

Wenger said: "I must speak with John Hart son because it is always stupid to speak to the referee. We are having too many red and yellow cards. Sometimes you can understand them because they are for tackles in the game, but this one was outside the game and less understandable."

Wenger now faces problems with team selection as Ian Wright starts a three match ban on Saturday, David Seaman, David Platt and Lee Dixon will still be missing through injuries, and now French midfielder Remi Garde is out for two weeks with a thigh injury caused by a Rob son foul which referee Mike Reed did not see.

The Birmingham official also decided against booking Wright, even though the Arsenal striker left Neil Cox limping with a reckless late challenge in the second half. A yellow card then would have taken Wright past the Football Association's 21 points disciplinary mark and added a further two match ban.