Arsenal equalled Nottingham Forest's 42-match unbeaten league record in heart-stopping style. The Premier League champions roared back from 1-3 down to beat Middlesbrough 5-3 at Highbury on Sunday.

Thierry Henry lobbed a dominant Arsenal into a comfortable 25th-minute lead, only for Boro striker Joseph-Desire Job to hit a 43rd-minute equaliser before the real fireworks started after the break.

Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink rifled in Boro's second and Franck Queudrue caught Arsenal keeper Jens Lehmann out of position for their third in the 53rd minute as the champions looked destined for a crushing defeat.

But Boro's lead lasted only a minute before Dennis Bergkamp pulled one back with a low shot and Arsenal struck twice in the 65th minute -- 48 seconds separating Jose Antonio Reyes's superb equaliser from a tap-in by substitute Robert Pires.

Henry, the Premier League's top scorer last season, steered home his second of the day in stoppage time from point blank range, the goal served up on a plate by Pires's cutback.

A thrilling performance and a master-class in technique, Arsenal's victory also returned them to the top of the table on six points, ahead of Chelsea on goal difference after Jose Mourinho's side edged Birmingham City 1-0 on Saturday.

WENGER'S EMOTIONS

Asked about his afternoon in the dugout, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger told Sky Sports: "You go through all kinds of emotions.

"They scored a great goal just before halftime which was a big blow for us, and then they came out and straight away scored a second and a third -- and then you've got your back to the wall.

"That's where you saw our mental resources. We didn't lose our nerve, we know we can play football and we kept playing.

"Today we didn't defend very well as a team but still we found the resources to compensate and to score the needed goals."

However, it was a far cry from the comfort of last weekend's season-opening 4-1 romp at Everton and Wenger knows his team will need to be busy on the training pitch.

"I was frustrated at times because we alternated the very good sometimes with sloppy passing or slopping defending," the Frenchman said. "It's the start of the season and you could see everybody's not as sharp as we can be."

Boro boss Steve McClaren, whose men did the double over second-string Arsenal sides last season on their way to winning the League Cup, said: "I'll take a couple of days to get over that.

"Congratulations to Arsenal on a fantastic achievement, but we had a chance to win today... We need to be better when we're 3-1 up, especially away from home."

Forest's run began in November 1977 and was not halted until December 1978 by Liverpool, while Arsenal have not lost in the league since a 3-2 defeat at Highbury in May 2003 put paid to their title hopes.

They stand to set a new 43-game unbeaten run on Wednesday against Blackburn Rovers at Highbury.

Earlier in the day, promoted West Bromwich Albion settled for a 1-1 draw at home to Aston Villa in the Midlands derby.

Arsenal and Chelsea are followed by four clubs on four points -- Villa, Fulham, Liverpool and Tottenham Hotspur -- with FA Cup holders Manchester United in eighth place on three points after beating Norwich City 2-1 on Saturday