Analyzing Arsenal's Humiliation Against AC Milan and What It Means for the Club

It has been a long time since Arsenal suffered a defeat as humiliating and demoralizing as that which they endured at the San Siro against AC Milan.

In fact, never have the Gunners experienced such a pathetic capitulation in their entire history of European competition.

What was striking about Arsenal's embarrassing 4-0 defeat at the hands of AC Milan, a team that the North Londoners dispatched of with such class only a few years ago, is that the Gunners won possession comfortably and still got dominated by the Rossoneri.

From the start of the match, Milan seemed to really be in an attacking groove, and they absolutely controlled what was a very open game.

Interestingly, the Italians used the very tactic that others have used with considerable success against them and which Arsene Wenger clearly neglected. Specifically, they used pace and precision to slice Arsenal apart on the counterattack, and the center of Arsenal's defence was shredded to bits with frightening regularity.

The home side's first goal came from a brilliant one-man counterattack and lethal finish by Kevin-Prince Boateng, and with the exception of the penalty, each other AC Milan goal went in as a result of poor defending and precise offensive play.

Thomas Vermaelen, in his first match back in the center of defence following the return of Kieran Gibbs to left back, amazingly made Arsenal fans wish that Per Mertesacker was still manning one of the center back slots.

This is not so much a criticism of the injured German (as I believe him to be vastly under-appreciated) as it is a reflection of the shocking and appalling performance turned in by Vermaelen.

The Belgian gave the ball away numerous times, foundered on numerous missed tackles and capped off his night of misery by slipping at an inopportune moment to allow Robinho just enough time to lash a precise strike neatly into the bottom corner of Wojciech Szczesny's goal.

In midfield and attack, Arsenal's performance and tactical approach was not any better. The Gunners never showed any ability to keep the ball moving in a positive direction, as mildly promising moves would inevitably result in a descending wall of red and black shirts suffocating Arsenal's foray forward.

Here, one must blame Arsene Wenger as much as the players. As has been shown many times in the past—including Arsenal's previous win over Milan in Italy—the way past this talented team is with pace, and more specifically, pace on the counterattack.

When Tottenham beat the Rossoneri at the San Siro last season, they exploited the pace of Aaron Lennon and Steven Pienaar down the flanks to run at Milan's defence after soaking up pressure, and it was one of these very moves that produced Peter Crouch's winner late in the game.

Yet Wenger opted to play the slow and aging Tomas Rosicky on the left wing, out of position and tired from his contributions against Sunderland, instead of precisely the type of player that is tailor-made to wreck a side like Milan: Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

And when the manager brought on Thierry Henry for his final Arsenal appearance at the start of the second half, it was the fastest player on the pitch, Theo Walcott, who made way rather than the lifeless Rosicky. Oxlade-Chamberlain did come on eventually, but it was for the effective Kieran Gibbs instead of a direct swap with the Czech on the left.

It made perfect sense, then, that when Arsenal nicked the ball from their opponents in their own half, it usually fell to Rosicky, who, through no fault of his own, stood no chance in footraces with the quick, alert Milan defenders.

Thus started myriad aimless attacks that fizzled out as quickly as they began and which would come to characterize the lackluster performance of the team as a whole.

And so, Arsenal are essentially out of the Champions League. Now that we have progressed fairly far along the five stages of grief, let us consider the short-term and long-term ramifications that this historic embarrassment has on the club.

First and foremost, there is the matter of Laurent Koscielny's knee injury, the extent of which is not yet known. The defender's prolonged absence would be a calamity for Arsenal if he is forced to sit out for any significant length of time.

He has been easily Arsenal's best defender this season and has been an ever-present force in a back line ravaged by injuries and occasional humiliation. Until he was forced out of the match toward the end of the first half, he was clearly the Gunners' best player, singlehandedly keeping his side in the game with a number of vital challenges.

Ponder this, Arsenal fans: If any defender gets injured or suspended, we will be forced to endure the return of Sebastien Squillaci.

There is also the matter of the possible mental scar that the match might leave. So severe was the beating that some believe it could have a serious effect on future performances.

Though this seems to happen every season, last year's trigger—the Carling Cup final—was on a considerably larger scale: a real trophy was at stake.

If these men are truly professionals, worthy of the history and reputation of the club they represent, they should be able to focus on the next match, get on with their lives and continue to do the job that they are paid to undertake better than almost anyone else in the world.

And finally, there is sentiment that this could be the final nail in Arsenal's hopes to keep their one-man team: Robin van Persie. Some feel that this particular loss epitomizes the club's regression, and the Dutchman will wish to spend the final year of his prime with a club that has a better chance of challenging for trophies, a la Thierry Henry.

I would not be so convinced. Should Arsenal qualify for next year's iteration of the Champions League and/or win the FA Cup this season, both the fans' and van Persie's view of the club and its potential to win silverware will be much more favorable.

It is absolutely essential, then, for fans and especially the players to expunge all memories of what just happened in Italy from their minds. There will essentially be no more European competition for Arsenal this season, and we can only move forward after we reconcile with that.

What immediately becomes important is the club's vital set of fixtures against Sunderland in the FA Cup and Spurs, Liverpool and Newcastle in the Premier League.

We need to win the FA Cup, and we especially need to emerge from these three season-defining League fixtures in a position to qualify for next year's Champions League.

So let's go out and do it. Look at the crests on your chests, Arsenal players. Forward is the only direction to look.

Frankly, I can't remember any match in Milan anymore.

Follow @AmeriGooner