The Gunners dominated the first half and would have been disappointed to only score one before the break. Thierry Henry caught Colin Cooper flat footed as he raced onto a long ball over the top from Jose Antonio Reyes. Mark Schwarzer advanced but the Frenchman cooly lobbed the ball into the net as Cooper desperately tried to cover.
Reyes had earlier hit the post after Freddie Lungberg had a shot saved by Schwarzer and a couple of minutes before the break Henry hit the bar with a trademark free-kick from 30-yards.
Unbelievably Boro went in at half-time all-square. Franck Queudrue went on a mazy run down the left and after exchanging passes with Jimmy-Floyd Hasselbaink he played in Joseph-Desire Job who fired home into the top corner. 1-1 Half-time.
Boro stormed out after the break and gave Arsenal the shock of their lives. A few minutes into the half Pascal Cygan miss timed a clearance and let in JFH. The Dutchman advanced to the edge of the area and rifled a shot past Jens Lehmann to make it 2-1.
Less than 10 minute into the half and Boro were in dreamland, Queudrue advanced down the left and unleashed a 30-yard drive. Lehmann was caught out of position, expecting a cross, and the ball flew in to make it 3-1.
Boro then committed the cardinal sin and let Arsenal straight back into the game. Within a minute Dennis Berkamp picked the ball up 40-yards out and with the Boro defence backing-off he advanced to the edge of the area and fired the ball past Schwarzer to make it 3-2.
If only Boro could have held the lead for 10 or 15 minutes the outcome would have been in doubt until the death. As it was Arsenal were back in the driving seat.
Arsene Wenger introduced Robert Pires with an hour gone and within 5 minutes he pulled Arsenal level. Henry turned Reiziger in the box, which meant that the Boro man could only half blocked the Frenchman's shot. As the ball quirmed across the six-yard box Pires stole in for an easy tap-in on the post.
A minute later and Arsenal were ahead. George Boateng gave the ball away cheaply from the re-start and Berkamp played the ball to Reyes on the edge of the area, he cut inside the luckless Reiziger and hammered the ball across Schwarzer into the top corner.
Boro still had a part to play in an exciting game and they pushed forward for an equaliser, but as the game entered injury time a swift counter attack sealed the victory for the Gunners. Berkamp and Pires combined down the left and the latter's cross was side-footed into the net by Henry, his second of the afternoon.
A disapponting end after being 3-1 up, but Arsenal showed why they are champions. They will take some beating this season and could become the first Arsenal side to retain the title since the 1930's.
On a positive note Boro have managed to score five goals in the opening two games but manager Steve McClaren needs to look hard at the defence, which has leaked seven.