ARSENAL look set to turn to an unlikely hero in the run in to the championship, which includes Saturday's lunch-time game at the Reebok Stadium writes Richard Mulligan

With Patrick Vieira and Edu suffering injuries it seems Ray Parlour, the forgotten man of Highbury, will partner Gilberto in the centre of midfield as the Gunners look to make it back-to-back titles for the first time since the days of Herbert Chapman and George Allison in the 1930s.

Parlour has struggled with injury himself this season but since returning has been frustrated by the form of Freddie Ljungberg on the right while the Arsenal captain Vieira is obviously the main man in the middle.

But the Frenchman limped off against Manchester United last week and his usual replacement Edu pulled out of in training on Friday prior to their 2-0 victory at Middlesbrough.

Parlour stepped into the breach and was rewarded with the captaincy by boss Arsene Wenger.

The former England ace was proud to wear the armband after 12 years with the club, and following the impressive win at the Riverside he has warned title rivals Manchester United that Arsenal will not give up their crown without a fight.

Parlour said: "It was a great honour for me to be captain but I just played my normal game really. I was in central midfield so we had to win our tackles and try to win the battle there and I think we managed that.

"It was a tough game and a good result in the end, probably the hardest game of those we had left.

"We are not worried about Man United and what they do. If we win every game I think we will win the league, and if they do slip up then great."

Arsenal's season has been rocked by injuries and the suspension of key defender Sol Campbell following his sending off at Highbury because of the elbow on Ole Gunnar Solksjaer.

David Seaman has been suffering from flu while striker Francis Jeffers has got a slight knee injury.

French ace Robert Pires has also been playing through the pain after a recent ankle injury, but his fellow countryman Thierry Henry seems determined to score the goals which will win the league.

He scored his 22nd league goal of the season at the Riverside, which is his 110th in all for Arsenal in 200 games.

Henry said: "I don't keep a tally of my goals and games so if you would have told me when I signed for Arsenal that after 200 games I would have so many goals I would have laughed."

"A lot of people were expecting us to fail so therefore it's a big win. We all knew it wasn't going to be an easy game."