Arsenal 1, Manchester United 3 can be explained by the following: Wayne Rooney is excellent; Manuel Almunia, Gael Clichy, and Denilson aren't; and Cesc Fabregas had - easily - his worst game of the season.
What that can't explain, however, are these results: Arsenal 1, Chelsea 2; Manchester United 1, Arsenal 0; Arsenal 1, Manchester United 3; Arsenal 1, Chelsea 4; Manchester United 2, Arsenal 1; Arsenal 0, Chelsea 3; Arsenal 1, Manchester United 3.
Those are Arsenal's last seven matches against the best two teams in England. One bad result - even two - can be explained by a great goal, or a bad ref. But, as any scientist will tell you, the same result seven times in a row means that, somewhere, there's a constant.
A third of Arsenal's players aren't good enough, but we knew that. What's also obvious, however, is the team style isn't good enough, either.
As Arsenal fans know, the great sides had at least one great winger: George Armstrong, Anders Limpar, Marc Overmars, Freddie Ljungberg, or Robert Pires. This side has none.
Theo Walcott's touch is too bad, Tomas Rosicky has no bottle - the only game he's ever won for Arsenal was at Liverpool, in the FA Cup - and Samir Nasri is too right-footed to play on the left. The team, therefore, has no width, which makes it easy for good defences.
Arsenal goals come from quick, three-pass moves down the middle. It works against Blackburn, and Bolton, but Manchester United were too good.
When their players sat deep, nine players between the 18-yard line and the centre circle, they removed Arsenal's space. They were quick enough, and clever enough, to intercept the passes. They smothered, then suffocated, Arsenal's attacks.
When that happens, good sides do two things: they go wide, or they go over the top. In short, they make room by stretching the pitch. But Arsenal have no wingers, and if they did, they have no striker who can head. They also, surprisingly, have no pace.
Wenger adores pace; he admires its pureness, its measurability. But Arsenal's attack has none. Once, Nicolas Anelka, Thierry Henry - even Jose Reyes - sped past defenders. Now, Nasri and Eduardo get caught, like their feet are stuck in cement.
By relying on Goals of the Month, Arsenal are as one-dimensional as Sam Allardyce's Bolton, or Dave Bassett's Wimbledon. Until that's solved, they won't consistently beat big teams in big games.
Arsenal can beat Chelsea, and Liverpool. Fagregas won't play that badly again, Arshavin won't miss those chances again, and Wenger - surely - won't pick Almunia again. But, after seven big defeats in a row, something has to change. What Wenger would do for Cristiano Ronaldo, or even a 32-year-old Thierry Henry.
Still, at least he doesn't have the FA Cup to worry about...
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