Manager Aitor Karanka insists there will be no fear among his Middlesbrough players when they take on Arsenal in the FA Cup on Sunday.
The Teesside club booked their spot in the fifth round with a superb 2-0 victory over Premier League champions Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium.
They were given little chance of progressing but two second-half goals were enough to see off Manuel Pellegrini’s star-studded team to continue what is turning out to be a successful season for the north-east side.
The Riverside outfit moved to the top of the Championship standings with Tuesday’s 2-1 win away at Blackpool and are looking good for a return to the top-flight after six seasons in the second tier of English football.
While promotion remains the priority, a good cup run always gives the fans a buzz and the chance to take on another Premier League giant will have the Boro faithful travelling to north London in their thousands this weekend.
Middlesbrough nearly accounted for another big side in the Capital One Cup in September last year and it needed an incredible penalty shoot-out for Liverpool to get the better of the former Uefa Cup finalists.
And Karanka has made it clear that the sight of the Gunners at the Emirates Stadium will not have his charges quaking in their boots.
“We’ve not shown any fear against Premier League sides this season, and it will be the same against Arsenal,” said the Spaniard. “We want to show everyone what we can do.”
Arsenal are the 1.45 favourites to win the match with Boro priced at 6.83 to cause another upset in the world’s oldest domestic cup competition.
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