Former Arsenal player Jeremie Aliadiere delivered another blow to Arsenal's fading Barclays Premier League title hopes by securing a point for Middlesbrough at the Riverside Stadium.

Aliadiere pounced in the 35th minute with a fine glancing header from a Tuncay Sanli cross after Emmanuel Adebayor had headed the visitors into a 17th-minute lead.

Boro could have gone ahead in the second half when Manuel Almunia made a fine save to deny Stewart Downing, while at the other end Robin van Persie sprang clear but shot across the face of goal.

Boro began bristling with commitment and won their first corner in the fifth minute after a quick throw by Stewart Downing had caught the Gunners defence napping, only for Manuel Almunia to grasp the set-piece well.

Julio Arca's fine cross-field pass almost set Downing free down the right and led to Boro's second corner in the eighth minute, which Adebayor headed inches over his own bar.

From Boro's third set-piece, the ball eventually fell to Adam Johnson on the right side of the Gunners box but the midfielder blazed his shot high into the visiting fans behind the goal.

Almunia also had to race to the edge of his box to snatch a long ball away from Tuncay Sanli before Arsenal forced their first chance in the 11th minute, Abou Diaby setting up Van Persie who bobbled a low shot inches wide.

The Gunners were starting to press with Robert Huth blocking a low shot from Adebayor in the box and Boro keeper Ross Turnbull blocking a point-blank effort from Diaby.

But from the resulting 17th minute corner, the Gunners grabbed the lead when Adebayor stooped to meet Fabregas' set-piece in front of goal and sent a low header past Turnbull.

Tuncay tried a low long-range effort in the 25th minute that was easily gathered by Almunia down to his left while at the other end Diaby's effort from another Fabregas corner was gathered by Turnbull.

But former Gunner Jeremie Aliadiere drew the home side level in the 28th minute with a superb glancing header from Tuncay's driven cross from the right which gave Almunia no chance.

Boro had a strong penalty appeal turned down in the 35th minute when McMahon claimed he had been tripped by Gael Clichy just inside the Boro box but referee Peter Walton waved play on.

Van Persie missed an apparently golden chance to put his side back in front in the 38th minute when he mis-kicked completely in front of goal after Adebayor had crossed low from the right.

Boro started well in the second half with a clever dummy by Huth leading to a long ball forward which proved just too strong for Tuncay.

Meanwhile, Gunners fans showed their support for last week's villain Eboue by singing the substitute's name as he began to warm up on the touchline.

There was plenty of spirit coming from Southgate's men as they continued to press without quite fashioning clear-cut chances, with the excellent Tuncay at the centre of everything.

And Boro came close to grabbing the lead on the hour when Stewart Downing outpaced Sagna chasing an Arca ball down the left before rifling a left-foot shot which struck Almunia's arm and went out for a corner.

But moments later Arsenal had an equally fine chance at the other end when Van Persie was played through by Diaby only to see his left-foot shot slide across goal and away to safety.

Diaby sent in a long-range drive which was gathered by Turnbull much to the exasperation of Wenger, who was living every moment of a match his side needed to win on the edge of his technical area.