Week 33 of the English Premier League concludes with a round-up of all the action from Teeside as second from bottom Middlesbrough entertained Arsenal.
Arsenal kept their faint hopes of Champions League qualification alive beating Middlesbrough by two goals to one at the Riverside Stadium. The Gunners moved within seven points of Manchester City with a game in hand, giving Arsene Wenger hope that he can maintain his record of qualifying in each season he has been at the helm.
Whoever organised the Premier League fixture list had a sick sense of humour when they decided this turkey would end the Easter weekend. Boro came into the tie with the unenviable record of being the only side in the English League system not to register a victory in 2017. They are also the league’s lowest scorers at home with 12.
Fortunately for Boro, Arsenal came into this match with as much confidence as a 14-year old boy with spots standing at the side of the dancefloor at a school disco having gained seven points in their previous eight games, losing their last four away.
I don’t know whether Arsene Wenger was trying to prove to his less than loyal fans that he has some tactical nous, but his decision to start with three at the back for the first time since Oasis were recording number one hits didn’t exactly help that sagging confidence. 
Middlesborough was well up for it. The crowd was right behind them as they tried to close the gap on Hull to three points, but along came Alexis Sanchez to spoil the fun. When the Chilean stepped up to take a free-kick at the edge of the box five minutes before time, there were seven Boro players in the wall including two of his own. He couldn’t even see the goal, but still managed to put it into the top corner for goal number 19.
Arsenal went into the first half interval with a 1-0 lead, but Boro was still well in the game and leveled within five minutes of the restart when Alvaro Negredo got on the end of a Stewart Downing cross to volley home his eighth goal of the season.
Ten minutes later and Boro should have taken the lead when Daniel Ayala headed the ball straight at Petr Cech, from close range, when it was easier to score.
That close shave woke Arsenal up. They enjoyed 65% possession but could only muster four shots on target. Fortunately, one of them ended up in the back of the net when Mesut Ozil scored at the near post after a nice chest down by Aaron Ramsey.
Boro boss Steve Agnew threw Rudy Gestede onto the pitch in the last gasp attempt to grab an equaliser, but even a shambolic looking Arsenal defence was good enough to deal with the lazy long ball game.
It ended 1-2 to Arsenal, only their third win in the past nine, but it was sufficient to take them above Everton into sixth place on goal difference. Boro remains six points from safety and is the 1/33 second favourites for a swift return to the Championship.
Champions League Qualification Odds (Courtesy of Oddsshark)
Spurs – 1/500
Liverpool – 1/8
Man City – 1/12
Man Utd – 7/2
Arsenal – 9/1
Relegated Odds (Courtesy of Oddsshark)
Sunderland – 1/150
Middlesbrough – 1/33
Swansea – 4/7
Hull 7/5
Here are the rest of the weekend results in full:
Week 33 Results
Spurs 4 v 0 Bournemouth
Crystal Palace 2 v 2 Leicester
Sunderland 2 v 2 West Ham
Everton 3 v 1 Burnley
Stoke 3 v 1 Hull
Watford 1 v 0 Swansea
Southampton 0 v 3 Man City
West Brom 0 v 1 Liverpool
Man Utd 2 v 0 Chelsea
Middlesbrough 1 v 2 Arsenal
Premier League Table
1. Chelsea – 75
2. Spurs – 71
3. Liverpool – 66
4. Man City – 64
5. Man Utd – 60
6. Arsenal – 57
7. Everton – 57
8. West Brom – 44
9. Southampton – 40
10. Watford – 40
11. Stoke – 39
12. Leicester – 37
13. West Ham – 37
14. Burnley – 36
15. Crystal Palace – 35
16. Bournemouth – 35
17. Hull – 30
18. Swansea – 28
19. Middlesbrough – 24
20. Sunderland – 21
