Arsenal Vs Middlesbrough full time (0-0) - European Football (EPL,

Arsenal continue its impressive run with a game
against Middlesbrough on Oct 22.
Arsenal and Middlesbrough last met in the fifth
round of the 2015 FA Cup. Boro came into the
Emirates with their tails up, having upset
Manchester City at the Etihad at the previous
hurdle. Of course, teams rarely come up with
giant killings twice in a row, since the second
team won't (or, at least, shouldn't) be caught by
surprise. Pre-beard Olivier Giroud scored twice
within two first-half minutes as Arsenal ran out
2-0 winners, en route to their second consecutive
FA Cup title.
The clubs have not met in the league since Boro
were relegated in 2008/09. The last time league
meeting between the sides was at the Emirates
on April 26, 2009; Cesc Fàbregas scored twice
as Arsenal won 2-0. The reverse fixture at
Riverside Stadium in December of 2008 was a
damaging 1-1 draw, where ex-Arsenal striker
Jérémie Aliadière canceled out Emmanuel
Adebayor's opener. At the time, the draw left
Arsenal eight points adrift of the top spot in the
league and while it would prove to be the third
match in an 21-match unbeaten run in the
league, Arsenal drew nine of those and never
climbed higher than fourth.
Arsenal have not dropped points at home to a
promoted side since a 3-3 draw with Norwich
City in 2012, which came in May of that season
anyway. Arsenal's last loss at home to a side
that had spent the previous season in the
Championship was to Newcastle United, 1-0 on
an Andy Carroll header, in November of 2010.
Mertesacker's arm being in an unnatural position.
The referee is Wirral-based Mike Dean, which you
might recognize as a bad sign for Arsenal. Dean,
of course, found himself duped by Diego Costa
at Stamford Bridge last September, missing his
elbow to the head of Laurent Koscielny before
sending off Gabriel for a kick-out, a call which
was later rescinded. Arsenal ended that 2-0 loss
to Chelsea on nine men after Santi Cazorla was
later sent off for a second yellow.
After that, I was surprised Arsenal saw Dean at
all for the rest of the year (recall, after Anthony
Taylor made a mess of that opening day fixture
to Aston Villa in 2013, Arsenal did not have
Taylor again for a full calendar year.) Still,
Arsenal saw Dean twice more, both scoreless
draws, first to Hull City in the FA Cup (in which
Dean denied Arsenal two penalties) and second
to Sunderland (in which Dean denied both sides
a penalty.)
Middlesbrough had Mike Dean once last season,
for an enormous fixture against Brighton & Hove
Albion on May 7. Both sides, level on points
going into the final match of the season, knew
that win would clinch promotion. On goal
difference, a draw was enough for Boro, which is
exactly what they got. At 1-1, Dean sent off
Brighton goal scorer Dale Stephens for a rash
challenge on Gastón Ramirez, and Boro defended
well for the duration, knowing a draw was
enough.
Predicted XI: Čech, Bellerín, Mustafi, Koscielny,
Monreal, Coquelin, Cazorla, Iwobi, Walcott, Özil,
Alexis.
Predicted XI: Valdés, Barragán, Ayala, Gibson,
Friend, Forshaw, de Roon, Traoré, Ramírez,
Downing, Negredo.