HAVING watched Adama Traore produce a dazzling full debut for Middlesbrough, Aitor Karanka is standing by his description of the winger as an ‘impact player’. The difference now, though, is that he is hoping the ‘impact’ will be felt across the whole of the season.

Traore was Boro’s stand-out attacker by a distance as they came tantalisingly close to claiming a victory over Arsenal, repeatedly out-running the Gunners defence and forcing Petr Cech into two world-class saves as the scoresheet remained blank.

Born in Barcelona, Traore joined his hometown team’s youth ranks at the age of eight, and made his senior debut nine years later, replacing Neymar. He also played for Barcelona in the Champions League, and looked destined for great things when he made a €10m move to Aston Villa in August 2015.

Things didn’t go to plan at Villa Park, largely because he missed a large chunk of last season through injury, and his deadline-day move to the Riverside was one of the least-trumpeted deals of the summer.

Not anymore. Having become something of a cause celebre amongst the Middlesbrough fans thanks to his eye-catching substitute displays, the 20-year-old is now a fully-fledged cult hero after ripping the Arsenal defence apart. Remain as effective in the next few matches, and he could be crucial to Boro’s hopes of climbing the league.

“I was asked two or three weeks ago about Adama, and I said he was an impact player,” said Karanka. “I said one day he would start because he is a really good player, but he’s young, he needs to learn and tactically he has to improve a lot.

“This week we’ve worked really hard with him, with the video and on the pitch, so he’s played a really good game, but he has to keep improving.

“We knew when we signed him he could be a really important player for us because he gives us the pace that we don’t (otherwise) have.

“He has an explosive element (to his play), and the day he understands the game tactically and our organisation, I’ve said he can be not an impact player in the game, but an impact player in the league.”

For just about the first time in his Middlesbrough career, Karanka found himself having to answer some difficult questions about his tactics and general approach in the wake of a 1-0 home defeat to Watford.

Saturday’s selection at the Emirates was the perfect response, with the Boro boss creating an effective blend of defensive solidity and attacking threat. Organised and disciplined in their own defensive third, Boro were a constant danger on the break, and the major disappointment at the final whistle was that they had been unable to take all three points.

“I think we should have won the game, but before coming here, one point would have been really good,” said Karanka. “To come here and play against Arsenal, and for Petr Cech to be the best Arsenal player, shows we have done a really good job.

“The better we play, the more chances we have to win points. That is our philosophy – it’s the way we’ve been working for the last three years, and now we just need to keep going. We know how strong we are as a team, and as a club, when we work together.

“Another thing for me is to see our crowd come here again after six or seven years, and for them to be able to watch this game and see this performance from the players. They have to be really proud of them.

“They know we are going to have good moments and bad, and the only way to  stay strong is to trust each other and stick together.”

Arsene Wenger celebrated his 67th birthday on the sidelines, and conceded Boro had caused problems on the counter-attack.

“I have a frustrated face, and I am frustrated,” said the Arsenal boss. “We had a lot of the ball, but in the modern game, maybe that isn’t enough to win games.

“After the first 20 minutes, Middlesbrough came back into the game and were dangerous on the break. In the end, we couldn’t win, but at least we were intelligent enough not to lose.”