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Aitor Karanka insists that start to life at Middlesbrough was tougher than current battle to stay in Premier League

Aitor Karanka is convinced the battle to keep Middlesbrough in the Premier League is not his toughest as a coach.

The 43-year-old Spaniard saw his side slip to the brink of the bottom three last weekend when a 1-0 home defeat by Watford left them above the red line only on goal difference and without a win in six league outings ahead of Saturday's daunting trip to Arsenal.

However, Karanka is confident he is a better coach than he was the day he arrived in November 2013, with the Teessiders then flirting with relegation from the Sky Bet Championship.