Arsenal 0
Fenerbahce 0

The more beastly Arsenal's critics become, the more bullish Arsene Wenger becomes in defending his faltering crew. The Gunners failure to despatch a largely outclassed Fenerbahce last night has now made their Champions League progress that bit more awkward and did nothing to dispel the current restless and gloomy feel around Emirates Stadium.

Saturday's visit of Manchester United now takes on even more critical significance following the Gunners' third grievous disappointment in a week - after the 4-4 draw with Spurs and defeat at Stoke - yet Wenger today tried to remain relentlessly upbeat.

"I will not tell you it's not important; it's a massive game with massive importance for us," the manager conceded.

"Every game for us at the moment is an important one but Manchester United-Arsenal is always a special one. We know for us it is vital to do well in the big games. I'm confident we will."

Wenger knows he must ensure this confidence rubs off on players who, as Cesc Fabregas conceded, started looking nervous last night.

About as nervous indeed as the frustrated Bonfire Night crowd who watched Arsenal offer a few bright early pyrotechnics before eventually going round in ever decreasing circles like some spluttering Catherine Wheel.

With no Emmanuel Adebayor and Robin van Persie available against United, the faithful must be wondering who is going to ensure that Arsenal, who had scored in every home game for nine months, don't now draw a second blank in four days in a game they simply have to win.

In his programme notes, Wenger had insisted a proper sense of perspective had to be kept about the club's recent travails, since Saturday's defeat at Stoke was only their first in seven games. Yet you had to wonder about his own blinkered post-match perspective when, instead of addressing why his side could not put another hatful past a side which they had overrun in Istanbul, his analysis just focused once again on presenting Arsenal as angelic victims.

All it really took to set Wenger off was the suggestion that his team must have enjoyed playing a side which didn't try to kick them off the field.

"You know, you can look at the fair play table; top of the table is Arsenal football club. First of all, we have no lessons to take from anybody on that front," was his curious response.

"Then you look at the team who gets more yellow cards after the fewest fouls; we are again top

"Either I can't read the (rule) book or something is wrong because you can't get one side getting a yellow card after five fouls and another getting one after 15 fouls. So instead of only having a go at us, you should look maybe somewhere else." What exactly leading the fair play table had to do with his lot being unable to hit a barn door from five paces last night only he will know.

He sounded like a man who still hadn't yet quite got the calamities of Spurs and Stoke out of his system. His team, seemingly chosen with half an eye on the United game, looked as if they hadn't either.

If he did get a chance to look at the video later, Wenger may well have been crying 'foul' even more fervently as he watched Mikael Silvestre taking a sly elbow to the nose from Fenerbahce midfielder Semih Senturk, a blow which forced the Frenchman's late substitution and could keep him out of the match with his old club.

But with the United game upon him, Wenger has no time to feel sorry for himself and can't let a weary side wallow in self-pity either.

"In the last 20 minutes you expect Arsenal to create many chances and that didn't come because I think we didn't have the physical resources," said Wenger.

Anyway, if Van Persie hadn't endured one of those maddening nights when his finishing was as woeful as his approach play was majestic, then this seeming fatigue presumably would never have materialised.

As for the charges of spinelessness from Thomas Sorensen, the Stoke keeper who has evidently wound up Wenger something rotten, the wholehearted commitment of the likes of Kolo Toure, foraging from right-back, and Johan Djourou offered the perfect riposte.

Young Aaron Ramsey performed creditably in only his second Champions League start but Walcott's speedy impact on the right was still so sorely missed that it was a reminder what a key Gunner he has been transformed into this term.

And even if Lukasz Fabianski, replacement for the ill Manuel Almunia, inspired no great confidence, Arsenal's seventh different back four in as many games were rarely inconvenienced.

So Wenger could still find things to enthuse about. The effort and the spirit remained fine, he felt, pondering how the Emirates mood could change dramatically with a win on Saturday and another against Dynamo Kiev in three weeks time to ensure a last 16 spot.

"Of course, my players are ready to battle," he assured us.

Only he couldn't help noting with a smile that his definition of footballing battle may well be rather different to some of his opponents.