Graphic: weekend tactical analysis | Manchester City 3 Arsenal 0 | Real crisis for Wenger happened five years ago | Who should be the next Arsenal captain? | Has Gallas gone too far this time?

No spine, no bottle, no spirit, a legendary manager under fire and a mutinous captain at war with his younger team-mates. It sounds like a recipe for disaster, but Manchester United’s much-maligned class of 2005 fought back from an identical crisis and were crowned Barclays Premier League champions within 18 months. The question is whether Arsène Wenger’s youngsters have the character to do likewise. On this and recent evidence, it appears highly unlikely.

Arsenal are in a terrible mess at present, their failings illustrated yet again as they fell to a comprehensive defeat by a Manchester City team who had themselves been close to crisis point beforehand. If there was one thing that Arsenal’s players would not have wished to do, it was to exhibit the very failings that William Gallas laid bare last week while seeking publicity for his autobiography. Stripped of the captaincy and dropped as punishment for his outburst, Gallas probably feels vindicated after this latest debacle. Vindicated, though, is not the word in this instance.

There are obvious parallels with Roy Keane’s infamous rant about his young United team-mates in the autumn of 2005, which reflected the frustrations that he had been airing at Cristiano Ronaldo and others on the training ground for some time. Sir Alex Ferguson, to the shock of many, sided with the youngsters — Keane’s contract, which was approaching its end, was terminated, while Ruud van Nistelrooy, another malcontent, was sold at the end of the campaign — and, to even greater surprise, was rewarded the next season with the improbable Ronaldo-inspired fightback that led United to the title.

Can Wenger effect a similar transformation with Arsenal? At present, it appears improbable. Whereas United’s youngsters needed to be liberated, Arsenal require experience, guidance and leadership of the type that does not exist within their first-team squad and, according to Wenger, belongs in a bygone era. When quizzed on his faith in the leadership skills of Gallas, Wenger has claimed that the pace of modern football reduces the need for a traditional captain. There may be some truth in that — Steven Gerrard, for example, is not a ranter or raver — but, when a manager is forced to appoint an erratic figure such as Gallas as his captain, what does that say about the character of the rest of his squad?

Cesc Fàbregas, who was missing on Saturday because of suspension, is expected to take over the captaincy against Dynamo Kiev in the Champions League tomorrow, but would he, either as a player or a leader, have made much difference on Saturday? It is one of the great unspoken truths of the Premier League that Fàbregas has, by his standards, had a fairly lousy 2008. (To those who cite his Ballon d’Or nomination as evidence to the contrary, consider that Emmanuel Adebayor and Didier Drogba are also on the list and that Rio Ferdinand is not.)

On Saturday evening, standing in a corridor in the bowels of the City of Manchester Stadium, Wenger, while refusing to answer questions about Gallas, defended his team, but he did so without his usual conviction. “The most important thing is to keep strong, united and focused and not to panic,” the Arsenal manager said.

“We have not lost our football in three days, so therefore let us win the next game. I believe we have to not panic, just to focus and keep going. That is difficult, I don’t deny that, but there’s no need to be desperate.”

Arsenal’s problems on Saturday were compounded by a City team who were eager to put their own recent difficulties behind them. Mark Hughes and his players can consider themselves unfortunate that, having had their share of negative headlines in recent weeks, a highly assured performance was overshadowed by the travails of Arsenal. Once they took the lead in first-half stoppage time through the increasingly impressive Stephen Ireland, there was only ever going to be one winner. Robinho, beating the offside trap to score with a sumptuous finish, made it 2-0 before Daniel Sturridge, the 19-year-old substitute, rubbed salt in Arsenal wounds with a late penalty. All three goals were characterised by lapses of concentration — Gaël Clichy erring twice for the first, Robin van Persie giving the ball away for the second, Johan Djourou bundling over Sturridge for the spot-kick.

City, though, deserved far greater credit than Wenger suggested in claiming that the scoreline had flattered the home team. Hughes replied that Wenger had been “a little bit ungracious”, citing that Robinho, enjoying himself, could have had a hat-trick. If 3-0 flattered either team, it was Arsenal, whose only threat came when Nicklas Bendtner was denied by Joe Hart in the second half.

This was only City’s second win and second clean sheet in nine Premier League matches since September, but both were achieved with plenty to spare, a welcome fillip before the Manchester derby on Sunday. Arsenal visit Chelsea on the same afternoon, looking increasingly at risk of missing out on their usual top-four finish. “Of the teams around there, you would have to say they are the most vulnerable at the moment,” Hughes said. “We know they have the quality when everyone is fit and well. But they weren’t able to impose themselves on us and we have taken the points. Five defeats makes it very difficult for them to win the title.”

Manchester City (4-1-2-3): J Hart 7 - P Zabaleta 7, M Richards 7, R Dunne 7, J Garrido 6 - V Kompany 7 - S Wright-Phillips 7, S Ireland 8 - D Vassell 4, Benjani Mwaruwari 5, Robinho 7. Substitutes: Elano (for Vassell, 73min), D Hamann (for Robinho, 82), D Sturridge (for Benjani, 88). Not used: K Schmeichel, T Ben-Haim, N Onuoha, C Evans. Next: Man United (h).

Arsenal (4-4-1-1): M Almunia 4 - G Hoyte 4, J Djourou 4, M Silvestre 4, G Clichy 3 - A Diaby 5, A Song 5, Denilson 4, S Nasri 4 - R van Persie 5 - N Bendtner 5. Substitutes: A Ramsey 5 (for Hoyte, 60min), C Vela 5 (for Diaby, 70). Not used: L Fabianski, K Gibbs, H Lansbury, J Wilshere, J Simpson. Next: Chelsea (a).

Referee: A Wiley Attendance: 44,878