STEVE McClaren last night praised his Middlesbrough players for their fearless attitude, despite watching them concede five goals during an incredible 90 minutes at Highbury.

Boro looked to be heading for a routine defeat when Thierry Henry fired Arsenal into a first-half lead but, in a purple patch either side of half-time, goals from Joseph-Desire Job, Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Franck Queudrue fired McClaren's side into a barely believable 3-1 lead.

The two-goal cushion lasted less than 60 seconds though, with Dennis Bergkamp reducing the arrears before a Jose Antonio Reyes brace and a last-minute strike from Henry stretched Arsenal's unbeaten run to a record-equalling 42 league games.

Boro hardly had time to catch their breath in a whirlwind second half, but they failed to take the sting out of the game when they were ahead and ceded both possession and territory as Arsenal threw caution to the wind.

McClaren admitted that his side had been their own worst enemies as Arsenal turned up the heat, but he still paid tribute to their attacking intentions.

"We have conceded goals, which was disappointing," said the Boro boss.

"But we said at half-time that we would not put up the shutters. We said we would go out and have a real go, and that's what we did.

"It's not often you go away from Highbury disappointed, but that's what we're doing because we know we had a chance of winning. We came here and had a go and we're bitterly disappointed to go away with nothing.

"We've conceded five goals, but I don't think any of the players deserve that with the way we've played.

"There are a lot of disappointed people in the dressing room, but people have seen what we are capable of doing and we will learn from this.

"Not many teams come to Highbury and score three goals and we have to remember that."

Yesterday's result means that Arsenal will set a new unbeaten record if they avoid defeat against Blackburn on Wednesday night.

Arsene Wenger's side were given an almighty scare when Queudrue's 30-yard screamer found the back of the net, but the manner in which they found another gear suggests the Premiership title could well be returning to Highbury in May.

"You've got to congratulate Arsenal on a magnificent achievement of equalling Nottingham Forest's unbeaten record," said McClaren.

"There's a certain invincibility about them, but we have given them a shock.

"They've got out of it and you have to give them a lot of credit for that.

"There's a lot of positives for us to take into the rest of the season, but there are aspects that we are going to have to work on. I think we all know that."

Read more about Middlesbrough here.