UGO EHIOGU protested his innocence over the challenge on Patrick Vieira that brought about Middlesbrough's downfall at Highbury.

Thierry Henry converted the resultant penalty to make the vital breakthrough for Arsenal amid controversial scenes in the first of four meetings between the sides this month.

But Ehiogu insisted there was no intent on his part. "I stopped and tried to get out of his way and, as his touch took him past me, he clipped my knee,'' said the Boro centre-back.

"I didn't put a leg out to try to stop him.

"If I'm not trying to make contact with the ball or the player, then surely something might have to be done about that one day.''

Danny Mills did his best to put Henry off before he took the spot-kick, and Vieira intervened by standing between them. Henry shook a celebratory fist in Mills' face after scoring and Robert Pires then barged into the Boro right-back.

Ehiogu said: "We were unhappy with the penalty and people get emotional, upset and angry when they feel that something has gone against them.

"Sometimes, you might look back and think you shouldn't have done this or that, but no-one is ever going to have a go at anyone for showing emotion on the pitch.

"But we got done on the one-two and it was characteristic of how poorly we played. We can't really grumble on the whole because it was an uncharacteristic performance and there were a lot of players in the dressing room who were wounded. We want a chance to put things right because that wasn't the real Middlesbrough.

"We didn't play well and gave the ball away in a lot of bad areas. Right through the team you could say we weren't at our best and against a team like Arsenal, you need to be.''

Boro return to North London a week tomorrow in the first leg of their Carling Cup semi-final with the Gunners, and Ehiogu added: "The only way to put things right and shut people up is to make sure we are all performing to the best of our ability, and that's what the players are looking forward to doing the next time here.

"I don't think this defeat is damaging psychologically. If you've played to your maximum and you still get beaten 4-1 you are demoralised.

"But knowing you haven't played as well as you can does make you angry. We weren't good enough - we weren't really at the races.

"Their forward players are so good that sometimes their back-four don't get tested and we only did that in patches. There needs to be a lot more of that for us to get a result here.''

Ehiogu, in only his fourth game back after over seven months out with a knee ligament injury, failed to reappear for the second half.

But he said: "It's just a slight groin strain, and hopefully we've caught it at the right time.''

Meanwhile, Boro midfielder Doriva, in his first game back after an eight-match lay-off with an ankle injury, picked up his fifth booking of the season and is banned for the FA Cup tie at Arsenal a week on Saturday.

Boro boss Steve McClaren said he expects 19-year-old winger Stewart Downing to sign a new long-term deal in the next week.

Read more about Middlesbrough here.