These days Middlesbrough are nobody's fools whereas Arsenal, in their present impoverished state, would appear to be anybody's meat. Yesterday's draw at Highbury, therefore, brought Bryan Robson's team less satisfaction than might normally be the case for a promoted side holding last season's Double winners on their own ground.

In fact it was more a case of Arsenal holding Middlesbrough. The champions' first goal in five matches did not arrive until the penultimate minute, by which time the gauche ineptitude of their finishing had driven their supporters first to anger and then to uncontrolled mirth.

Paradoxically an error by Brian Deane, who had given Middlesbrough the lead in the fifth minute, led to Arsenal's salvation. Until then Boro's three central defenders - Colin Cooper, Steve Vickers and Gary Pallister - had dealt comfortably with everything in the air, but when Remi Garde lobbed the ball towards the penalty area Deane, back to support them, missed it completely.

Nicolas Anelka brought the scores level off the underside of the crossbar and Boro spent the two minutes of stoppage time defending untidily as Arsenal sought one of the season's less likely victories. Highbury's obvious relief at the draw, both on and off the field, was a measure of how far Arsene Wenger's side have fallen in the past month.

A lengthening list of injuries has been the main problem, doing nothing to restore form and confidence which were already on the wane. Yesterday Arsenal were missing what amounted to the core of last season's successful team: Tony Adams from defence, Patrick Vieira and Emmanuel Petit from midfield and Dennis Bergkamp from attack. Stephen Hughes, one of the better alternatives, was also unfit and Nigel Winterburn had to go off injured midway through the first half. Casualties, however, are not the whole story. Wenger's squad always lacked the strength in depth to mount a decent challenge in the Champions' League while keeping up appearances in the Premiership. Now, with their dwindling hopes in Europe finally ended by Lens in midweek, they face a winter of domestic rehabilitation.

Yesterday, for the most part, they did not look capable of winning a three-legged race even though much of their football around the opposing penalty area was played in the manner of men tied together at the feet. By the closing stages Fredrik Ljungberg, so fundamental to Sweden's victory over England in the European Championship qualifiers, could hardly do anything right and the introduction of Luis Boa Morte and Fabian Caballero simply gave the supporters something else to laugh about. Until he laid on Anelka's goal, Garde appeared set on creating some sort of record for conversions: wrong code, wrong ball.

Middlesbrough went away wondering how, in such promising circumstances, they could have failed to win at Highbury for the first time since 1939. One of the reasons was that in defending so deep for the last half-hour they invited the sort of equaliser that duly arrived.

Certainly Robson felt his team could have done more to catch Arsenal on the break; even Steve Bould was pushing forward into the Middlesbrough half. "We could have counter-attacked more," he conceded. Middlesbrough's early goal was clinically conceived and clinically executed. Paul Gascoigne, who now faces another suspension after a further booking - for a foul on Garde - began a move which saw Andy Townsend send in the overlapping Dean Gordon for a low cross. Deane nipped in front of Bould and Martin Keown to turn the ball past David Seaman.

Just past the quarter-hour Hamilton Ricard's crossfield ball found Deane striding into the penalty area from the left with only Seaman barring the way. There was a big space to the right of the goalkeeper but Deane shot straight at him. Later Mikkel Beck, having replaced Ricard, headed an equally simple chance wide. A second goal for Middlesbrough and Arsenal would surely have been done for.

Arsenal: Seaman, Dixon, Winterburn (Vivas 27), Bould, Ljungberg (Caballero 74), Anelka, Overmars, Wreh (Boa Morte 63), Keown, Parlour, Garde. Subs Not Used: Manninger, Grimandi. Booked: Bould, Garde. Goals: Anelka 89.

Middlesbrough: Schwarzer, Fleming, Gordon, Vickers, Pallister, Mustoe, Gascoigne (Maddison 66), Deane (Summerbell 90), Townsend, Ricard (Beck 59), Cooper. Subs Not Used: Beresford, Baker. Booked: Cooper, Gascoigne. Goals: Deane 6. Attendance: 38,075.

Referee: G Barber (Pyrford).