Wenger watched former Gunner Jeremie Aliadiere deny his side victory with a clever glancing header past Manuel Almunia in the 35th minute, cancelling out Emmanuel Adebayor's early opener.

And despite the prospect of losing further ground on the teams above them going into the festive programme, Wenger insisted: "We believe that champions are people who go on when everybody else stops.

"That's the way we can show it. Nobody believes in us but we can show we still believe and keep going.

"I believe at the moment my team needs encouragement more than anything."

Arsenal had their chances to win it in the second half through Robin van Persie and Nicklas Bendtner but the resolute home side held firm and earned praise from Wenger.

Her added: "I must say I expected them to collapse a bit more than they did in the final part of the game and they didn't give in.

"They kept going even when they had tired legs and that's credit to them."

For Boro boss Gareth Southgate the hard-earned point was tempered by the belief his side should have had a penalty when Adam Johnson was tackled by Gael Clichy late in the first half.

"It looks to me as if Clichy's caught Johnson and I thought the one that was given against us last week was a lesser foul than that," said Southgate.

"I'm told these things even themselves out so we shall see."

Boro, with returning centre-back Robert Huth outstanding in the absence of the suspended David Wheater, had bristled with commitment from the start against a Gunners side with all their big guns back.

The performance of his defence in particular pleased Southgate, given that both Huth and Chris Riggott had to shrug off midweek injuries and Emanuel Pogatetz needed pain-killing injections in his shoulder.

Southgate added: "It's been an incredible week for dealing with setbacks and different things, but the performance of the back four in particular, and in the circumstances, was phenomenal.

"We showed enough courage in the first half to get back into it and in the second half we had to dig in.

"I think a draw given all the circumstances is possibly fair, but we had to be very resilient to get it."

With the likes of Cesc Fabregas, Adebayor and van Persie all back, and last week's boo-boy Emmanuel Eboue consigned to the bench, Wenger might have expected better things early on.

But Adebayor headed an early corner inches over his own bar and Johnson blazed over from another set-piece, while the Gunners' best early chance fell to van Persie who bobbled a weak shot wide.

Adebayor put his side ahead in the 17th minute when he stooped to meet Fabregas' cross with a low header which bounced past Boro keeper Ross Turnbull.

But French striker Aliadiere drew the home side level in the 28th minute with a superb glancing header from Tuncay's driven cross from the right which gave Almunia no chance.

Substitute Bendtner sent Arsenal's last chance against the arms of Turnbull but Wenger insisted: "Today was a game we would have lost at the start of the season.

"We had a better defensive balance and we were more of a team.

"We just lacked a little bit of that extra little thing that comes with confidence but we are a young team and that is why it is important we just keep belief and keep going."