Wenger left pining for his reliant Robin

IF Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger was sceptical about the merits of alternative medicine beforehand, Saturday’s defeat to Sunderland could lead the Frenchman into a rethink.

Whether it is with the use of a horse’s placenta or any other weird and wacky treatment, Wenger will have realised the return of seven-goal striker, Robin van Persie, cannot come soon enough.

Van Persie may hope to have a reduced recovery time from ankle ligament damage sustained on international duty after paying a visit to the Serbian healer Marijana Kovacevic, but Arsenal failed to score for the first time this season in his absence.

Despite facing an attacking line-up that boasted Samir Nasri and Tomas Rosicky supporting Eduardo, Sunderland goalkeeper Marton Fulop was never seriously tested after denying Rosicky inside five minutes.

Arsenal rarely resembled a team that had gone unbeaten in 13 matches, scoring 36 goals in Premier League matches in the process – more than any other team since the division’s inception.

The result, courtesy of Darren Bent’s 71st-minute winner that further enhanced his claims for an England place, means Arsenal’s hopes of winning a first league crown since 2004 have been seriously dented.

A position of strength was eradicated in one afternoon. Arsenal have dropped down to third and the eight-point gap which exists to leaders Chelsea is looking a monumental one ahead of their meeting at the Emirates on Sunday.

“Mentally it’s a blow,’’ said Wenger. “It’s a big disappointment because we know that this game was a very big, important game that we couldn’t afford to lose, and we didn’t realise just how difficult it would be here.’’

Wenger was labelled a managerial genius by Sunderland manager Steve Bruce ahead of Arsenal’s trip to Wearside.

Bruce might have changed his tune this morning. “Sunderland tried more to destroy and we had more of the ball so they tried to stop us from playing, sometimes on the fringe of the rules, but that’s part of the game,’’ said Wenger.

The reality was that Sunderland had successfully laid the foundations to pinch all three points after stifling and restricting a free-flowing Arsenal to half-chances.

Under Bruce, Sunderland are resembling a team capable of staying in the top eight this season, having climbed to within touching distance of fourth place courtesy of this win.

“It’s very difficult to measure if Sunderland have improved,’’ said Wenger. “They were organised to defend. You will have to judge them when they play against a team of their level where they will have to make the game and build the game.’’

With Bent providing the lone outlet for Sunderland, the plan worked and the reward came 19 minutes from time. Andy Reid’s corner shaved the head of Bent, bounced off the knee of Fraizer Campbell and the former Tottenham man powered high above Arsenal goalkeeper Manuel Almunia.

It was Bent’s ninth goal of the season, his first since finding the net via a beach-ball against Liverpool in mid-October, and his manager was relieved to see him recapture his form after a frustrating appearance for England in Qatar seven days earlier.

“He was a bit low when he came back to us, of course he was, but he scores goals,’’ said Bruce. “He is a major concern for us though. We do not know what he has done exactly, either cramp or hamstring.’’

While the injury scare is worrying for Sunderland, there is no disguising Bruce’s impact at the Stadium of Light. But while the Black Cats have drawn at Manchester United and beaten both Liverpool and Arsenal, Bruce wants to see improvements against lesser teams.

“I have just said to them if we do not perform at Wigan next Saturday I will kick all their arses and they can walk home,’’ said Bruce, recalling defeats at Burnley, Stoke and Birmingham this season.

“But we are going into December and I can only think of Burnley in the second half and Birmingham when we have not played well. So two out of 13 suggests we are starting to get some consistency.’’

Bruce’s verdict on the championship race carries credibility because of the part Sunderland have played in shaping its destiny already this season.

Arsenal will not be happy with his thoughts. “They will be in the running, but whether they have enough to win it, I just don’t know,” he said.

“I will say anyone who finishes above Chelsea will win the league. They are the ones who are the threat at the moment. You are never going to write off Manchester United either. There is a long time go to, we are just coming into December so it is still all to play for.’’

The reality, though, is that Chelsea are the only one of the ‘big four’ who have beaten Sunderland this season – a measure of how the chasing clubs are closing the class gap.

REFEREE: Alan Wiley (Staffordshire) 7: Arsene Wenger was unhappy with a late refusal to award Arsenal a penalty, but Wiley was otherwise faultless. And, despite what Alex Ferguson says, he was always up with the action.

MATCH RATING: ** Chances were at a premium after Tomas Rosicky failed to accept an early one. It was a day for perseverance rather than perfection and Sunderland had it in abundance.