In retrospect, of course, it was entirely predictable. All season, the questions were posed about whether Arsenal would falter, whether the central defensive pairing was vulnerable to pace, whether they really believed they could hang on and win the title.
As soon as they faced a major challenge, they faltered.
And that is the sad truth for Arsenal, that, remorseless as they have been in disposing of the lesser lights, at all but one moment of applied pressure they have failed.
In the Premier League, they lost at Old Trafford and the Etihad Stadium. In the League Cup, they lost to Chelsea.
In the Uefa Champions League, they lost at home to Borussia Dortmund and, more significantly, away to Napoli when a draw would have seen them top the group.
Only away at Dortmund did they rise to a real challenge. Even before the 5-1 loss to Liverpool at Anfield on Saturday, behind all the 2-0 wins over mid-ranking sides, the warning signs were there.
The susceptibility to speed was apparent on the opening day of the season, when Aston Villa striker Gabriel Agbonlahor ripped them apart. Arsenal’s greatest achievement this season has been the way they have managed to protect their centre-backs.
The question now is twofold: Can Arsenal find a way of playing that allows them at least to hold other grandees – and they must still go to Chelsea, Tottenham Hotspur and Everton, as well as playing Manchester City at home – at arm’s length?
And after such a devastating defeat, can they pick themselves up for Wednesday's game against Manchester United?
“It’s always a disappointment to lose a game, but I think it was an accident because we have been very stable defensively and we have to treat it like that,” said the manager, Arsene Wenger. “We have just been on a 10-game unbeaten run. You cannot consider one game as the trend, the pattern of our season. It’s an accident, a very disappointing one, but a successful season is decided by how you respond to that. In any season you have disappointments, it is always down to the team to respond in a very positive way. That decides the success of the team.”
The reaction, though, is uncertain. It could be that a defensive performance as inept as Saturday’s shatters confidence and morale, but it could equally be that it reawakens players to their responsibilities.
Teams have suffered worse defeats and gone on to win the title: Newcastle United, beaten 9-1 at home by Sunderland in 1908/09, for instance. Or more recently, Manchester United, beaten 5-0 by Newcastle in 1996/97. Freakish results – “accidents” as Wenger described them – happen.
Usually when a team performs as abysmally as Arsenal did on Saturday, it is impossible to single out an individual, but the way Mesut Ozil stood off Steven Gerrard, allowing him to create the game from deep, was a major factor in the defeat.
“He didn’t have the best of games on Saturday, but that can happen,” Wenger said. “He works very hard to adapt to the physical level of the Premier League, and for me, he is an exceptional player.
“I wouldn’t like to put too much pressure on him, because he has been a top-class player until now. He knows when he is not good enough, he will get questioned – that is normal.”
Facing United is probably the best possible game for Arsenal: United are reeling after another disappointment – a 2-2 draw at home to Fulham – and probably more wracked by self-doubt than Arsenal, but the game is big enough that a victory would feel significant.
And for all the gloom, the fact remains that Arsenal finished the weekend second in the table, just a point behind the leaders. It was a stunning defeat, but it does not need be devastating.
sports@thenational.ae
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
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Tiger:independent, successful, volatile
Rat:witty, creative, charming
Ox:diligent, perseverent, conservative
Rabbit:gracious, considerate, sensitive
Dragon:prosperous, brave, rash
Snake:calm, thoughtful, stubborn
Horse:faithful, energetic, carefree
Sheep:easy-going, peacemaker, curious
Monkey:family-orientated, clever, playful
Rooster:honest, confident, pompous
Dog:loyal, kind, perfectionist
Boar:loving, tolerant, indulgent
Jigra
Starring: Alia Bhatt, Vedang Raina, Manoj Pahwa, Harsh Singh
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LAST-16 FIXTURES
Sunday, January 20
3pm: Jordan v Vietnam at Al Maktoum Stadium, Dubai
6pm: Thailand v China at Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain
9pm: Iran v Oman at Mohamed bin Zayed Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Monday, January 21
3pm: Japan v Saudi Arabia at Sharjah Stadium
6pm: Australia v Uzbekistan at Khalifa bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain
9pm: UAE v Kyrgyzstan at Zayed Sports City Stadium, Abu Dhabi
Tuesday, January 22
5pm: South Korea v Bahrain at Rashid Stadium, Dubai
8pm: Qatar v Iraq at Al Nahyan Stadium, Abu Dhabi
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Initial investment: Undisclosed
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Core42
Current number of staff: 47
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Starring: Joaquin Phoenix, Lady Gaga, Brendan Gleeson
Director: Todd Phillips
Rating: 2/5
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ICC T20 Team of 2021
Jos Buttler, Mohammad Rizwan, Babar Azam, Aiden Markram, Mitchell Marsh, David Miller, Tabraiz Shamsi, Josh Hazlewood, Wanindu Hasaranga, Mustafizur Rahman, Shaheen Afridi
The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
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Zayed Sustainability Prize
UAE squad
Rohan Mustafa (captain), Ashfaq Ahmed, Ghulam Shabber, Rameez Shahzad, Mohammed Boota, Mohammed Usman, Adnan Mufti, Shaiman Anwar, Ahmed Raza, Imran Haider, Qadeer Ahmed, Mohammed Naveed, Amir Hayat, Zahoor Khan
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Dir: R Balki
Starring: Akshay Kumar, Sonam Kapoor, Radhika Apte
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Teams
Punjabi Legends Owners: Inzamam-ul-Haq and Intizar-ul-Haq; Key player: Misbah-ul-Haq
Pakhtoons Owners: Habib Khan and Tajuddin Khan; Key player: Shahid Afridi
Maratha Arabians Owners: Sohail Khan, Ali Tumbi, Parvez Khan; Key player: Virender Sehwag
Bangla Tigers Owners: Shirajuddin Alam, Yasin Choudhary, Neelesh Bhatnager, Anis and Rizwan Sajan; Key player: TBC
Colombo Lions Owners: Sri Lanka Cricket; Key player: TBC
Kerala Kings Owners: Hussain Adam Ali and Shafi Ul Mulk; Key player: Eoin Morgan
Venue Sharjah Cricket Stadium
Format 10 overs per side, matches last for 90 minutes
Timeline October 25: Around 120 players to be entered into a draft, to be held in Dubai; December 21: Matches start; December 24: Finals
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