Worried Wenger in need of answers

GAEL CLICHY ended the afternoon in much the same state as Arsenal: a bloody mess. The French defender, nursing an ugly gash on the crown of his head courtesy of Mido’s raised boot, needed stitches to repair that wound, his team’s title hopes are in need of rather more intensive care.

Arsenal’s grip on the Premier League summit has finally been loosened and if the title is to return to London this season, it is more likely to be heading west than north. By the time they return to action, at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, Manchester United could enjoy a six-point advantage and Chelsea might have drawn level. That heady night in Milan, rather than reinvigorating Arsenal’s season, could just have papered over some alarming cracks.

The only thing flatter on Saturday than Arsenal was their manager.

A potentially fatal defeat might have been averted through Kolo Toure’s 87th-minute equaliser, forced in via Mark Schwarzer’s gloves and Andy Taylor’s forehead, but while Arsene Wenger had raucously celebrated the late, late show against Aston Villa two weeks ago, here he could barely muster a smile.

The Frenchman maintained that Arsenal could yet stage a comeback, but he spoke mechanically, as if trying to convince himself. He could offer no explanations for why Arsenal suddenly look so bereft but he probably knows the truth: that his young team, having started the season at a sprint, have simply run out of puff.

‘‘There was a big disappointment in the dressing room,’’ he said. ‘‘It was like a defeat. It is the flattest I have seen them after a game. I feel they gave absolutely everything but there is a fraction less belief in us at the moment.’’

Wenger was at least able to make one wise-crack on an otherwise demoralising afternoon. When asked whether he had felt lower this season, the manager curled his upper lip and uttered just one word: ‘‘Birmingham’’.

But he was only half-joking. Arsenal are still to recover from St Andrews, their memories still haunted by the images of Eduardo da Silva’s maimed left leg and William Gallas’ tortured post-match protests. Then again, Arsenal have hardly allowed themselves to move on from that shocking afternoon.

Saturday began with Cesc Fabregas spitting more barbed remarks at Martin Taylor and before kick-off Eduardo hobbled onto the pitch to accept the club’s player of the month award for February. The PA announcer duly exhorted the home fans to salute ‘‘the one and only Eduardo’’, which seemed a rather extravagant way to introduce a player who has not even spent a complete season in north London.

If this sounds uncaring, that is only because there is no room for sentiment in a title race. It is perfectly understandable for Arsenal to want to dedicate any successes this season to their stricken colleague, but Eduardo would presumably prefer a Premier League winner’s medal to outpourings of mawkish sympathy.

At present, though, Arsenal are spending too long feeling sorry for themselves. Wenger was justified in feeling that his team were given precious little assistance from the officials on Saturday — Emmanuel Adebayor saw a good goal chalked off for offside in the fifth minute, while Jeremie Aliadiere’s opener might have been struck off for the same reason — while they were also thwarted by some rotten luck.

But title winners make light of such ill fortune. And the incontrovertible truth is that Arsenal were too passive and predictable for too long in this match to warrant anything other than a solitary point. It is all very well to enjoy 75%of possession, as Arsenal did, but too much was played in front of Middlesbrough’s two superbly disciplined banks of four.

For all Arsenal’s dominance, Schwarzer only had to make one truly demanding save, at Cesc Fabregas’ feet early in the second half, and even when Mido was harshly dismissed in the dying moments for his lunge at Clichy, Arsenal never threatened a winner.

‘‘It is frustrating at the moment,’’ Toure admitted. ‘‘But the most important thing is to be confident and play our game, stay strong in our minds and believe that until the end it is not finished. Whichever team is more consistent is going to win the title.’’ Toure is right, but at the moment, that team is not Arsenal.

ARSENAL (4-4-2): Almunia 6, Sagna 5 (Bendtner 61, 5), Toure 7, Gallas 5, Clichy 6 (Senderos 89, 5), Eboue 6, Fabregas 6, Flamini 6, Hleb 4, Adebayor 6, Van Persie 4 (Walcott 61, 6).

Subs Not Used: Lehmann, Gilberto.

MIDDLESBROUGH (4-4-2): Schwarzer 7, Young 7, Huth 7, Wheater 8, Pogatetz 6, O’Neil 7, Shawky 6 (Cattermole 45, 6), Boateng 7, Downing 7, Tuncay 7 (Taylor 68, 5), Aliadiere 7 (Mido 79, 4).

Subs Not Used: Turnbull, Arca.

REFEREE: Mark Halsey (Lancashire) 4: Wrong to disallow Arsenal’s early goal and possibly acted rashly in dismissing Mido. Not his finest hour.

MATCH RATING: *** More ebb than flow for long periods, but Boro’s determination in protecting their slender lead was impressive.