BEN GIBSON thinks Middlesbrough’s impressive draw at Arsenal last weekend has given everyone a lift, but has suggested the upcoming visit of Bournemouth is a far bigger occasion for the team.

Boro have only won game this season, the second of their top-flight fixtures when they travelled to Sunderland. Criticism was growing but holding the Gunners to a point showed what they are capable of.

But the hard-earned result at the Emirates will count for very little if Bournemouth claim three points when they visit the North-East.

Aitor Karanka’s side are still searching for a first home win after losing the last three of their opening four games at the Riverside Stadium.

It is that sort of record which will keep Middlesbrough in the thick of a relegation battle if they don’t improve on that, starting against the Cherries ahead of Chelsea, Hull, Liverpool and Swansea before the end of 2016.

Gibson said: “Next week is bigger, 100 per cent. The Arsenal game was huge because everybody had written us off. And I mean everyone. I think everyone thought we were going to get pumped to be honest, but we knew if we stuck to our game plan, and defended and fought as we could, we would get something.

“We were unlucky not to come away with three points, but we’ll take what we got and now the next game is huge. For us to stay up this season we have to have a good home record, and our home record hasn’t been good enough.

“We have to make it hostile, and I encourage the fans to get out and get behind us. Be raucous. To some of those players who haven’t been at the Riverside because we haven’t been in the Premier League in the last few years, it’s intimidating.

“I have friends who have played against us, and they’ve said how intimidating it is. We have to address the results on the pitch, and we’ll be trying to do that. I actually think if we play in the same vein as here, we will make it very tough for Bournemouth.

“We need to get three points to really kick-start our season. We’ve taken a point and a clean sheet against Arsenal – now let’s go and make things happen, get up that table and win a few games.”

Middlesbrough’s run of four defeats from five building up to last weekend’s visit of Arsenal had led to increased pressure on the head coach and players to turn things around; only goal difference has prevented them from slipping into the bottom three.

Bournemouth have climbed up to tenth and, despite a smaller stadium and less experience of Premier League football, they have shown they can be a force to be reckoned with over the last 15 months.

But Gibson thinks everyone connected with Boro needs to be realistic and should realise there will be negative results after climbing out of the Championship in May.

He said: “I don’t think we’ve got as many points from our start as we actually deserved. I think some of the criticism hasn’t been fair. People can get carried away, but we’ve been in the Championship for seven years and we know how hard and horrible it is.

“We’re out of there now and we need to stick together. This season is going to be about fight. There’ll be good runs and bad runs, and it’s about how we respond and react. This was a perfect response.

“We know we have to get more points, and we were as frustrated as anyone when we came away from the games against Watford and Palace – two games where we dominated and played quite well, but didn’t get the result we wanted.

“That hasn’t been good enough for different reasons, but we need everyone to stick together like the players did at Arsenal. If the fans keep backing us as they have, and the players fight and we have the mentality like we had, we’ll be just fine. But I think it’s important we stay level-headed.

“If we win a few games, we’re not going to get into the Europa League; if we lose a few games, we’re not all of a sudden going down. It’s going to be an up and down season, but that’s part and parcel of adjusting to life back in the Premier League.”

Middlesbrough’s trip to Southampton on Sunday, December 11 will kick-off at 2.15pm.