Arsene Wenger believes Arsenal paid a "heavy price" during the international break - one which threatens to de-rail what had looked a promising campaign.
Despite the disappointment of Sunday's 3-0 home defeat by Barclays Premier League leaders Chelsea - which left the Gunners some 11 points off the pace, albeit with a game in hand - Wenger will stick to his policy of giving youth a chance for tomorrow night's Carling Cup quarter-final at Manchester City.
Arsenal were at their free-flowing best before the squad headed off with their countries three weeks ago, but winger Tomas Rosicky accepted the 1-0 defeat at Sunderland when domestic action resumed was a "collective burnout" as the players failed to regain focus.
The loss of Holland forward Robin van Persie, though, was a massive blow. His ankle ligament damage suffered during a friendly against Italy turned out to be much worse than first diagnosed and he is now not expected to play again until April at the earliest.
Wenger feels the final round of World Cup qualifying matches came just at the wrong time.
"The international interruption made a break in our season which was not welcome, and we paid with a very heavy price," Wenger told Arsenal TV Online.
The Gunners boss, though, remains pragmatic in the wake of defeat to Chelsea.
He said: "We have to accept we have lost a game and the only way we can respond is to show solidarity, to show collective energy and belief in what we do.
"It [title race] is not over and I believe, on what I have seen of Chelsea, that they team can drop points.
"Of course, first of all it is down to us to respond quickly and in a positive way in the championship games.
"We lost two games without scoring a goal which is not our habit at all. That is where we want to come out in a more positive way."
Wenger believes whatever the result at Eastlands tomorrow, Arsenal's confidence in youth will, in the long term, pay dividends.
"Let's keep the faith in our young players who keep waiting for this game and I want give them a chance to play," he said.
"I believe any result should not influence too much your policy.
"We know what we want to do in the Carling Cup, but we also want to win it.
"Tomorrow is a cup game, and I believe in a cup game anything is possible."
A full-strength Arsenal side were somewhat unfortunate to lose 4-2 against City back in September, when former Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor grabbed the headlines for all the wrong reasons - with his controversial goal celebration and then a stamp on Van Persie which saw the Togo striker handed a ban by the Football Association.
Wenger, though, insists tomorrow will not be about any kind of retribution when they return to Manchester.
"On the day we behaved how you want Arsenal to behave and so I do not see why we should worry about that," he said.
"What is important is that we focus on our game and do not worry about our opponent too much.
"Of course you want their strikers to be quiet, but that is more down to the quality of our defenders."
Arsenal were at their free-flowing best before the squad headed off with their countries three weeks ago, but winger Tomas Rosicky accepted the 1-0 defeat at Sunderland when domestic action resumed was a "collective burnout" as the players failed to regain focus.
The loss of Holland forward Robin van Persie, though, was a massive blow. His ankle ligament damage suffered during a friendly against Italy turned out to be much worse than first diagnosed and he is now not expected to play again until April at the earliest.
Wenger feels the final round of World Cup qualifying matches came just at the wrong time.
"The international interruption made a break in our season which was not welcome, and we paid with a very heavy price," Wenger told Arsenal TV Online.
The Gunners boss, though, remains pragmatic in the wake of defeat to Chelsea.
He said: "We have to accept we have lost a game and the only way we can respond is to show solidarity, to show collective energy and belief in what we do.
"It [title race] is not over and I believe, on what I have seen of Chelsea, that they team can drop points.
"Of course, first of all it is down to us to respond quickly and in a positive way in the championship games.
"We lost two games without scoring a goal which is not our habit at all. That is where we want to come out in a more positive way."
Wenger believes whatever the result at Eastlands tomorrow, Arsenal's confidence in youth will, in the long term, pay dividends.
"Let's keep the faith in our young players who keep waiting for this game and I want give them a chance to play," he said.
"I believe any result should not influence too much your policy.
"We know what we want to do in the Carling Cup, but we also want to win it.
"Tomorrow is a cup game, and I believe in a cup game anything is possible."
A full-strength Arsenal side were somewhat unfortunate to lose 4-2 against City back in September, when former Arsenal striker Emmanuel Adebayor grabbed the headlines for all the wrong reasons - with his controversial goal celebration and then a stamp on Van Persie which saw the Togo striker handed a ban by the Football Association.
Wenger, though, insists tomorrow will not be about any kind of retribution when they return to Manchester.
"On the day we behaved how you want Arsenal to behave and so I do not see why we should worry about that," he said.
"What is important is that we focus on our game and do not worry about our opponent too much.
"Of course you want their strikers to be quiet, but that is more down to the quality of our defenders."
Copyright (c) Press Association
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