Where are they now? Arsenal’s XI last time they played Middlesbrough in the league

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Arsene Wenger’s men face Aitor Karanka’s Middlesbrough on Saturday, with Arsenal last having hosted the Teessiders in 2009.

Having been relegated in 2009, Middlesbrough are back in the Premier League and they return to the Emirates Stadium on Saturday to face Arsenal.

A lot has changed for the Gunners since they last played Boro, so let’s take a look back at the side they put out in April 2009.

Manuel Almunia

Now Arsenal have Petr Cech, it is easy to forget that they went for years without a really good goalkeeper. Manuel Almunia held the reins once and, having left Arsenal in 2012, moved to Watford for the remainder of his career. He retired in 2014.

Emmanuel Eboue

A cult hero yet much-castigated figure, Eboue has been having a torrid time of late. Having been a free agent after leaving Galatasaray, the Ivorian signed for Sunderland this year. However, following a pay dispute, he was banned from football for a year and is currently unattached.

Kolo Toure

Spells at Manchester City and Liverpool give Toure an impressive Premier League CV – and he is currently working again under Brendan Rodgers at Celtic.

Mikael Silvestre

A peculiar Arsene Wenger signing, Silvestre stayed at Arsenal for two years before moving on to Werder Bremen, Portland Timbers and finally Indian side Chennaiyin, where he retired in 2014.

Kieran Gibbs

One of two players in the XI who are still at the club. Gibbs, an academy product, will have been at Arsenal for 10 years next year and started the Champions League game against Ludogorets on Wednesday.

Denilson

After being phased out at Arsenal in 2013, Brazilian midfielder Denilson returned to his old club Sao Paulo before signing for Al Wahda in the UAE. He is currently on loan at Cruzeiro, where he is yet to make an appearance.

Cesc Fabregas

Having broken Arsenal hearts by leaving for Barcelona in 2011, he returned to London in 2014 to play for Jose Mourinho’s Chelsea, where he won the title in his first season.

Andrey Arshavin

One of the most talented yet work-shy Arsenal players, Arshavin returned to Zenit St. Petersburg in 2013 before signing for Kuban Krasnodar. He is currently scoring freely at Kazakhstan outfit Kairat.

Nicklas Bendtner

The not-s0-great Dane left Arsenal in 2014 after a series of loans before joining Wolfsburg permanently. After leaving in 2016, he is now plying his trade at Championship side Nottingham Forest, for whom he played against the Gunners in this season’s League Cup.

Theo Walcott

The second of the players still at the club, Walcott celebrated 10 years at Arsenal last season. After a few rocky spells down the years, the 27-year-old is on fire this season, having scored eight goals in 10 games.