Arsenal out of answers after latest defeat to Blackburn Rovers

Wenger, it is easy to suspect, might. Especially now, after his side’s self-inflicted 4-3 defeat did more to quieten the calls for Kean’s dismissal than any amount of meeting, greeting and glad-handing fans ever could.

Not simply because Arsenal lost. This was their fifth defeat here across all competitions in the last 10 years.

But because of the manner in which they lost, because of how complicit they were in their own downfall, because of the fact that Gervinho and Mikel Arteta twice put them ahead, because twice Yakubu was left free to open his account for the hosts and because, as Arsenal lunged towards the ludicrous, first Alex Song and then Laurent Koscielny put the ball into their own net. And because of the circumstances.

“I do not have the measurement of humiliation,” said the Frenchman, when asked whether this was more embarrassing than the 8-2 reverse at Old Trafford. “They are two different results.

This was down to a lack of sharpness and we were a bit unfortunate, too, but overall we never looked secure enough in defence. In our weak moments, we were not strong enough to resist.”