STEVE McCLAREN is urging his Middlesbrough side to draw on the experience of past victories over Manchester United to inspire a dramatic change of fortune against Arsenal.

The Boro manager admitted after Saturday's Highbury humbling that the Gunners hold a "hoodoo'' over his side and one which must be broken to prevent Arsene Wenger's men achieving the perfect ten in the three seasons of McClaren's Teesside stewardship.

McClaren has now been a loser on each of the seven occasions he has gone head to head with Wenger.

Ominously, Saturday saw the first of four encounters between the sides in the space of 18 days. Boro return to Highbury a week tomorrow for the first leg of the Carling Cup semi-final and arrive again four days later in the fourth round of the FA Cup. A further four days then elapse before the Carling issue is settled at the Riverside.

But that final instalment might be academic if Boro perform as they did at the weekend.

The resolute defending that ensured an unbeaten away run stretching to seven matches in League and Cup, was conspicuous by its absence as Boro conspired in their own defeat - and Arsenal took maximum advantage.

The only succour for McClaren was Wenger's insistence that his executioner-in-chief, Thierry Henry, will be rested for both legs in the Carling Cup.

McClaren, however, is taking nothing for granted. "We have to learn lessons from this defeat,'' he said. "It's like a thunderbolt - it's the first time for four months that we've not really performed away from home. It was a bad day at the office and a lot of performances were out of character.

"We have to make sure next time that we defend properly and pass the ball well.

"But each of the games against Arsenal is going to be different; both teams might be different.

"Sides like Manchester United and Arsenal are not invincible - they do get beaten. When they do, it's by the better team on the day and we have to make sure we are.

"We've been to Manchester United and won, and we've beaten them on two other occasions, but Arsenal have a bit of a hoodoo over us and it's time to break that.''

Against a side unbeaten in 21 Premiership games this season and who last lost away to Dynamo Kiev in the Champions League in October, that's easier said than done.

McClaren might ask resident sports psychologist Bill Beswick to try a little anger management on Danny Mills to help Boro's cause.

The right-back was involved in a running battle with Henry which began when Arsenal were awarded a disputed 37th-minute penalty after Ugo Ehiogu had caught Patrick Vieira's trailing leg.

Referee Andy D'Urso was in no doubt but the Boro players were furious and none more so than the fiery Mills, who resorted to gamesmanship by confronting Henry in a blatant attempt to unsettle him as he prepared to take the spot-kick.

The conviction with which Henry converted it was the most tangible proof that Mills' tactic had the opposite effect, and McClaren observed: "When you make them angry, they get better, so we'll have to make sure we don't do that next time.''

Henry, who later humiliated Mills with an extravagant dragback through the England defender's legs, insisted: "There's no problem - I shook hands with him afterwards.

"I said to the referee he could have stopped what went on by getting Mills out of my face and that maybe his reaction was a bit unnecessary, but these things happen in football.''

Wenger said Henry "needs a rest'' and will miss the Carling double-header. Not surprisingly, former Old Trafford No 2 McClaren has no objections. "Why not?'' he said. "Manchester United and Arsenal have learned over the last few years that you have to do that when you're involved in championship races.

"They know that in April or May, nobody can afford a slip up and you need all your players to be right.''

A crude challenge by George Boateng means Boro won't have to face the lightning pace of Jeremie Aliadiere again this season.

Wenger revealed that the rookie striker is out for "three or four weeks'' with twisted medial knee ligaments.

Aliadiere was a threat from the first minute on Saturday when he forced a save from Mark Schwarzer, who returned after a two-match absence with a back injury.

Two minutes later, he performed another marvellous stop to deny Henry. For a time thereafter, Boro held their own, but the penalty proved a pivotal moment.

Henry hit a post with a free-kick before Boro left-back Franck Queudrue sliced the ball into his own net on the stroke of half-time from another set-piece by the Gunners' ace.

Robert Pires profited from Henry's low delivery and an uncharacteristically slack clearance by Boro skipper Gareth Southgate to fire home the third goal in the 57th minute.

The fourth followed 11 minutes later when Kanu, a half-time replacement for Aliadiere, ploughed through the defence to find Freddie Ljungberg, whose angled drive Schwarzer could only touch on to the far post on its way in.

The introduction of the axed Juninho sparked Boro and he set up fellow substitute Massimo Maccarone to win an 85th-minute penalty when he was brought down by keeper Jens Lehmann.

Maccarone fought off Mills' claims to take the kick and grabbed only his second goal this season.

Boro will need more character like that against Arsenal in the coming weeks.

Result: Arsenal 4 Middlesbrough 1.

Read more about Middlesbrough here.