Coping with seven games in three different competitions in a three week period is a test of any side, and with more big matches still to come, our resources are being stretched to breaking point at present.

Quite simply we were running on empty when we got to Highbury - we put our foot on the gas but there was nowt in the tank. The stark facts are: no shots on target, no corners won. No points, no chance.

We were one behind here last season at half time with the home side threatening a rout - but we all know what happened thereafter, with the O'Brien leveller at the Clock end coming from a corner. 

This time we didn't even have the corner to cheer, never mind the goal.

United never showed the determination or the belief to repeat the feats of last December  and our performance was more reminiscent of the meek FA Cup replay surrender of March 2002. Or the Cup final a couple of years before.

Defensively we did our best to restrict the sharpshooters in the home side from getting a clear sight at goal, and that combined with a lack of quality from Henry in particular kept the score down, on an afternoon when Given didn't have that much to do.

In the midfield though we struggled to contain the perpetual motion of Vieira, bursting back on to the scene after an absence through suspension and also suffered from the attacking forays of Luzhny, who had little to do at the back.

Speed and Jenas toiled away, but Solano and Viana never got themselves involved on a regular basis and Dyer flitted hither and thither without achieving anything memorable. 

Without Bellamy to cajole, prompt and generally make a nuisance of himself, Shearer looked a forlorn figure at the head of the attack. It's also fair to say that the unique skill set of Robert would have been greatly appreciated had he been available. He may have his faults, but more often than not something happens when he's around.

The belated appearance of Shola at least gave him a semblance of support in the latter stages, but the inability of the rest of the side to get anything remotely resembling a cross over made it all a total waste of an afternoon.

In particular fellow sub Bernard appeared to be on a different planet, twice failing to deliver from left wing set pieces in the last few minutes. A half-decent delivery then might just have brought a goalmouth scramble and the chance of an improbable equaliser, but we couldn't even get the damn ball into the area.

As he had for most of the game, David Seaman stood idly by and watched his defence smother our occasional thrusts, and still somehow managed to strain his groin. Perhaps he was having a fiddle downstairs when Viana's shot flew past him en route to and from a collision with the crossbar and wrenched something. 

Certainly nothing else we did caused him any bother, unless he hurt himself laughing at us.   

We can only hope that this forgettable misadventure was as a result of keeping our powder dry for the trip to Rotterdam. If we had any fortune though, it's that we didn't exit down the Holloway Road with our tails well and truly between our legs, having been buried by an avalanche of goals. 

For Arsenal, it was a further step on the road to domestic rehabilitation after recent wobbles, and on that basis we were the perfect guests - polite, unassuming and never likely to derail proceedings.

Regardless of what happens in Europe in the interim , it's imperative that we approach our next domestic away game in a more positive frame of mind than we did this one  - a victory at Old Trafford is within our power, but not playing like this.

Best forgotten. As Captain Sensible once said....Glad it's all over.