It is only a week or two since Arsene Wenger spoke about the race against time to develop Arsenal's young talents, but already the season is running away from him. Defeat by a vibrant Manchester United has provoked a crisis of faith at Highbury. By comparison, it was insignificant that any weak hopes of retaining the Premiership title were squelched entirely.
No one can be quite so sure now that Wenger will maintain the levitation trick that has kept Arsenal at the same height as Manchester United or Chelsea despite a lack of financial support. Well before the end, United had punched holes in a flimsy team and thereby exposed the gaps in the Highbury club's strategy.
Since October's defeat by United at Old Trafford, Arsenal have won just seven of 15 Premiership matches. Such halting form highlights a fragility of temperament that was again in view on Tuesday. Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs and Roy Keane were prominent in a line-up hell bent on imposing their will, but Arsenal were largely made up of performers who faded or never started at all.
All the same, the psychological factors are not the greatest worry. Thierry Henry realises that Arsenal do not even have the physiology to compete. He, Patrick Vieira and Sol Campbell have all struggled with fitness concerns, and Campbell now has an ankle injury that will probably keep him out of Saturday's match at Aston Villa as well as England's friendly against Holland next week.
Such inconveniences are not unique to Arsenal, but they are much less capable of coping than United or Chelsea. No occupant of the Highbury treatment room need fear that he will be a forgotten man. Gilberto Silva has not appeared for Arsenal since September 18th and the schedule for his recovery from cracked vertebrae is vague, but he is still uppermost in Arsenal thoughts.
Wenger craves cover for central midfield to such an extent that he would not let Edu leave in the January window unless Valencia paid a £1.5 million fee they were never likely to afford. The Brazilian, nonetheless, has been able to start only three Premiership matches this season. "The turning point for me was to lose Edu and Gilberto Silva," said Henry. "Lose them and you lose valuable players from the squad."
On Tuesday, Arsenal were outclassed on the team-sheet before they even got on to the pitch. United would eventually bring on two seasoned international centre backs in Wes Brown and John O'Shea, even if the latter took up a midfield role. Arsenal, by contrast, started the match with only one centre half, in Campbell, whom they trust fully. Now that he is hurt, Saturday's side will probably have Justin Hoyte and Pascal Cygan as the core of the back four.
The suspended Kolo Toure has been suffering with second-season syndrome, and anyone who saw the mauling he received from Ade Akinbiyi in the FA Cup tie with Stoke City will not assume he can correct all faults in the line-up.
Wenger was envied when he signed the young Swiss centre back Philippe Senderos in 2003, but his first season was wrecked by injury, and now he has knee trouble.
The Arsenal manager wants to advance the careers of these men, not out of benevolence but because he has nowhere else to turn. A 17-year-old such as Cesc Fabregas, therefore, has to be entered for that "race against time" and Wenger must then search for the balance between blooding and resting an uncanny prospect.
It is no way to conduct a challenge for the Premiership title. "Look at our bench tonight," said Henry on Tuesday, "look at the bench of Man U, look at the bench of Chelsea. You are as good as your bench. We have great youngsters, but it's difficult to rely on all of them in all the competitions. For me, that is the key."
Henry is far from disaffected, but morale will dim at Highbury if Wenger cannot assemble a more solid group. Were he given the means, the manager would presumably have a new goalkeeper. Instead, he picks between Manuel Almunia, who helped United to their third goal, and Jens Lehmann, who no longer enjoys his endorsement.
Even the sources of excellence in the side might cause Wenger disquiet. Dennis Bergkamp was magnificent on Tuesday, but he is 35. Still, there is no mature replacement on the Highbury scene.
A troubled Henry is eager that Arsenal should stop any further erosion by re-signing Ashley Cole. "It is important, more than important," the forward insisted. "You have to keep your best players and make sure the young players get even better by playing with them."
The logic, though, is not so certain as he supposes. Arsenal already have another outstanding left back, Gael Clichy. If Chelsea really do envisage making a vast bid for Cole, might it not suit Wenger better to take the money and employ it to buy a few fresh footballers? Arsenal are in a tough position and their choices, too, will be hard.
Arsenal and United, and their respective captains Vieira and Keane, will not face disciplinary action over the flashpoint in the tunnel before the game. The English FA decided there was no need to bring charges or open an investigation after receiving the referee, Graham Poll's, report. Poll had to step in after the pair became involved in a dispute while waiting to take the field. Keane claimed the trouble was sparked when Vieira threatened Gary Neville, though the Frenchmen denied that.
