A new formation, a first away Premier League victory since 14 January and their top four hopes still just about alive, there was reason for Arsene Wenger to smile after Monday’s 2-1 victory over Middlesbrough.

"The first time in 20 years, yes, and that shows you that even at my age you can change," Wenger said of his decision to switch to a 3-4-2-1 formation, something he had not resorted to since 1997. "But sometimes when a team lacks confidence, just to have something new to believe helps them to focus and, overall, the fact that we conceded three at West Brom, three at Crystal Palace, I felt that it was needed.”

It was Gary Neville who warned Arsenal fans after the match not to get ahead of themselves, given it was a victory over 19th-placed Middlesbrough who will almost certainly be playing in the Championship next season. Yet he may as well have been talking directly to Wenger, as his formation change did not feel like one to inject Arsenal with life, but a last-ditch effort to prove to the club’s hierarchy that he is capable of change.

The two-year contract extension that has been offered to Wenger, despite the club currently on course to finish outside the top four for the first time under his reign, is conditional on him proving he is capable of changing with the times to remain competitive and ensure the north London side are challenging for the right type of silverware.

At 67 years old, it will take some doing for Wenger to reinvent himself. The Frenchman is known worldwide for developing an eye-catching, beautiful style of football that while not always the most successful, has attracted a large number of admirers who don’t support Arsenal, let alone the ones that do. That started with Wenger deploying a 4-4-2 formation, before switching to the 4-2-3-1 that he has stuck with for the bulk of the last decade.

Middlesbrough vs Arsenal player ratings Show all 22 1 /22 Middlesbrough vs Arsenal player ratings Middlesbrough vs Arsenal player ratings Brad Guzan – 6 out of 10 Dealt with most that Arsenal threw at him but should have done much better with Sanchez’s free-kick. Getty Middlesbrough vs Arsenal player ratings Antonio Barragán - 6 Solid if unspectacular night on the right side of defence. Getty Middlesbrough vs Arsenal player ratings Ben Gibson – 7 Marshalled Giroud well and handled the Frenchman’s physicality without too much trouble. Getty Middlesbrough vs Arsenal player ratings Daniel Ayala -7 Capable in defence but should’ve done better with second-half header. Getty Middlesbrough vs Arsenal player ratings George Friend - 6 Exposed by Oxlade-Chamberlain at times but solid enough in relief of the injured Fabio. Getty Middlesbrough vs Arsenal player ratings Adam Clayton – 5 Typically workmanlike in defence but a poor challenge cost Boro dearly from the resulting Sanchez free-kick. Getty Middlesbrough vs Arsenal player ratings Marten de Roon – 6 Failed to really assert himself on the game. Getty Middlesbrough vs Arsenal player ratings Grant Leadbitter – 6 Ugly first-half tackle on Ozil could’ve earned him more than just a yellow but showed well in attack. Getty Middlesbrough vs Arsenal player ratings Stewart Downing - 7 Rolled back the years with an inch-perfect ball for Negredo’s goal. Getty Middlesbrough vs Arsenal player ratings Alvaro Negredo – 7 Quiet night as the home side’s focal point but took his goal with a poacher’s instinct. Getty Middlesbrough vs Arsenal player ratings Gaston Ramírez – 7 Boro’s brightest attacking threat and looked the home side’s most likely to break the Gunners back line down. Getty Middlesbrough vs Arsenal player ratings Petr Cech - 6 Not tested a great deal and deserved better from his defence for Negredo’s goal. Getty Middlesbrough vs Arsenal player ratings Gabriel – 6 Always on the edge of an utter calamity the Brazilian managed to avoid any tonight and looked better in a three. Getty Middlesbrough vs Arsenal player ratings Laurent Koscielny – 7 Arsenal’s best defender but will have wanted to do better with Negredo’s goal. Getty Middlesbrough vs Arsenal player ratings Rob Holding – 7 Definitely a player for the future if not right now. Getty Middlesbrough vs Arsenal player ratings Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain – 7 Pushed on well down the right flank and offered positional discipline going the other way too. Getty Middlesbrough vs Arsenal player ratings Aaron Ramsey – 7 Neat and tidy as ever and added a dash of quality with a deliciously composed chested knock down for Ozil’s goal. Getty Middlesbrough vs Arsenal player ratings Granit Xhaka – 7 Doesn’t know whether he’s coming or going but plenty of energy if not so much discipline from the Swiss. Getty Middlesbrough vs Arsenal player ratings Nacho Monreal – 7 Added some good balance on the left and thrived with the added attacking responsibility. Still a little clumsy in the defence. Getty Middlesbrough vs Arsenal player ratings Mesut Özil – 7 Took his goal with the composure required and added the class when the Gunners needed it most. Getty Middlesbrough vs Arsenal player ratings Alexis Sánchez – 8 Not one of the Chilean’s best games yet was still the outstanding performer scoring one and creating another. Getty Middlesbrough vs Arsenal player ratings Olivier Giroud – 7 Didn’t threaten as much as he would’ve liked but added the focal point that Arsenal lack with Sanchez up top. Getty

That change didn’t bring the success that Wenger – or anyone – expected, with the club going nine years without a trophy before clinching back-to-back FA Cup triumphs in 2014 and 2015. What was important then, and still is now, is that Wenger took the side forwards. As long as the team was showing that it was developing towards the right end of the Premier League table, there was no need for Wenger to prove he could change, nor that he should suddenly abandon his approach in favour of something that is working elsewhere.

Arsenal, under Wenger, were showing signs of improvement since he signed his last contract in 2014. Premier League finishes went from fourth, to third, to last year’s second place, and while losing out on the title to Leicester was not exactly a positive for Wenger, it was at least something to build on this season.

That hasn’t happened, and not even an FA Cup success – with Arsenal playing Manchester City in this weekend’s semi-finals – will hide the fact that their Premier League and European campaigns have been a disaster. Arsenal have lost seven matches in 2017 when they were well placed to challenge Chelsea at the turn of the year, and the humiliating 10-2 defeat by Bayern Munich in the Champions League will live long in the memory of Wenger’s worst losses when he reflects on his career.

Arsenal fans have protested against Wenger's continuation as manager (Getty)

What Arsenal need is a real change, not a formation tinker, and like Chelsea have proven, that comes with the manager. Roman Abramovich has his critics for his cut-throat approach, but it is one that reaps rewards given they have won 13 major trophies since Wenger last lifted the Premier League title, despite having 11 permanent managers in that time. If Arsenal want new ideas, then they should look beyond Wenger, as his simple switch to three at the back is not going to be enough to win the title given he will still ask his side to play the same brand of football.

Wenger ditched his 4-2-3-1 formation after defeats by West Brom and Palace (Getty)

There is also the issue of the players Wenger seeks out in the transfer market. The additions of Mesut Özil and Alexis Sanchez have been justified for the sizeable outlay, but the £80m net spend last summer is yet to bear fruit. Lucas Perez is unlikely to remain with the club beyond the summer after a frustrating season spent largely among the substitutes, while Granit Xhaka is yet to prove why Wenger signed off £35m for his signature. Even Shkodran Mustafi, who enjoyed a very strong start to life at the Emirates Stadium, has seen questions of his ability thrown his way after the Germany international struggled immensely whenever Lauren Koscielny was absent.

If Wenger is to continue, he must also completely change his approach in the transfer market, and that doesn’t mean breaking the bank with every signing. Chelsea proved last year that in N’Golo Kante and Marcos Alonso, £32m and £24m acquisitions respectively, they can find players who can make a significant difference over the course of a season, and all for less than Arsenal shelled out on Xhaka and Mustafi.