Middlesbrough 1 Arsenal 1:In their ideal world Middlesbrough would like to have much in common with Arsenal, mostly in the manner the ball is caressed around a pitch. There is some way to go, of course, but last season's two beaten European finalists did share more than the points on Saturday night: both clubs remain undefeated in 2007 and both left the Riverside with an enhanced sense of defiance. Both, moreover, passed the ball with style, with Boro's Julio Arca reminiscent of something from a Wenger blueprint in terms of twinkle-toed accuracy.

Strangely then, it was a game in which two alleged fouls, one from Mark Viduka, the other from Philippe Senderos, claimed too much attention in a contest that was tough but nothing like violent.

Viduka's leading elbow in the 41st minute hurt Kolo Toure's face, annoyed Arsene Wenger greatly and provoked referee Mike Riley into showing theAustralian a yellow card.

Viduka is from Balkan stock but he is no raging bull, and the interesting word Wenger used when speaking of the incident was "repetition".

Wenger does not like the idea that northern clubs think Arsenal have to be beaten physically if they are to be beaten.

The Frenchman does not want that notion to seep back into the culture and he has no Patrick Vieira to combat it out there.

Far from the urbane persona we know, Wenger said afterwards: "If I pay 30 quid to watch a game I want teams to play football, not jump in the back of each other.

"We have a team in the league who have made less fouls than anyone else and we get more red cards than anyone else."

According to the pre-match statistics, Wenger was correct about fouls committed. But Arsenal's tally went up a few here and they now have a third red card of the season - Blackburn Rovers have five, Manchester City four.

It came after Senderos tugged the shoulder of Yakubu Ayegbeni with half an hour to go.

The contact was outside the Arsenal area - just - but once Ayegbeni saw the 18-yard line he hit the turf as if he had just been watching the Six Nations.

Ayegbeni is far from the only striker who lacks the will to stay upright and his fall prompted Riley to point to the spot.

Riley took matters further by dismissing Senderos, which felt like a harsh interpretation of the last-defender rule. But then Senderos could have fought his instinct to tug at Ayegbeni.

The Nigerian may have gone on and scored, though he was not certain to do so, and Senderos would have remained on the pitch. Ayegbeni did then score from the spot.

Ultimately Senderos was not missed. Gilberto Silva moved back and was diligent, though Viduka turned the Brazilian in the 77th minute and only Jens Lehmann's reflexes prevented 2-0 and game over.

Still with no new contract on offer from Boro, Viduka said afterwards: "All that has been said is that the club will talk to me when we are mathematically safe from relegation. I would like to stay. If we keep playing football like this, the sky's the limit."

Viduka's form is bright and his turn was a reminder that William Gallas has not appeared since November.

A corner followed but Lehmann caught it impressively, then sent Toure away with a quick throw.

Toure sped forward, crossed diagonally to Emmanuel Adebayor whoseold-fashioned knock-down was guided into the bottom corner by Thierry Henry.

It was Route One from a team that normally takes Route 66.

Arsenal were the more likely to win it from there, even down to 10 men, but settled for a point that leaves them 11 behind second-placed Chelsea with a game in hand.

Guardian Service