In isolation, Arsenal's 1-0 defeat at Stoke could be looked at in the following way: they dominated the game in terms of possession and territory, were denied a clear penalty, had a good goal wrongly disallowed for offside and were unlucky to concede -- despite their carelessness -- to one of the home side's only attempts on goal. Just one of those days.
Unfortunately, nothing exists in isolation when you've got a manager who has been at the club for over 20 years, and when this defeat -- if not a mirror of others in the past -- had an unmistakable air of familiarity about it.
Where, perhaps, there was some variation, was in Arsene Wenger's team selection, which remains baffling even days later. Why he left Per Mertesacker on the bench, preferring Nacho Monreal as the central defensive anchor, is a decision that's impossible to understand. He bought the best left wing-back in the Bundesliga last season in Sead Kolasinac yet plays him as a central defender, and played one of the most exciting right-backs in Europe, Hector Bellerin, on the left instead.
It seems as if his desire to give Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain minutes has come at the expense of team balance, and while further talks are planned with the England international this week, Wenger is aware, and has been for some time, that the 24-year-old does not want to sign a new deal with the club.
In attempting to solve one particular problem, the Arsenal manager is creating unnecessary ones for himself, leaving his team imbalanced and vulnerable because of that. That was evident in their huffing and puffing at the Bet 365 Stadium last weekend, and in many ways it mirrors what's going on off the field at the club, too.
Although the signings of Alexandre Lacazette and Kolasinac have been warmly welcomed, is a net investment of £24 million -- offset against the departures of Wojciech Szczesny and Gabriel -- enough to bridge the gap between last season's fifth-place finish and the title? When you consider what that amount gets you in the market, it's hard to see it making enough of a difference -- especially when you consider so many of the players who have flattered to deceive in seasons past remain so integral to the current setup.
Meanwhile, if the contractual situation of Wenger cast such a large shadow over last season, something the Frenchman admitted was a mistake, it makes you wonder how the issues involving key players will impact this campaign.
While so much of the focus remains on Alexis Sanchez, the issues go beyond that with Mesut Ozil and Oxlade-Chamberlain both in the same position. In fact, Arsenal have nine players whose contracts expire in 2018, and a further eight whose deals expire in 2019, meaning there's a lot of work to do to maintain any measure of cohesion and consistency.
Some, like Kieran Gibbs, Mathieu Debuchy and Joel Campbell, are very much on the fringes of the squad, never mind the team itself. But alongside the three aforementioned there is Aaron Ramsey, Theo Walcott, Olivier Giroud, Danny Welbeck and Monreal who are, at this moment in time, considered important first-team players.
The age profile of some of the squad, the defenders in particular, should also be a concern. Mertesacker will retire at the end of this season, Laurent Koscielny and Monreal are in the Septembers of their careers with the former requiring daily treatment for a chronic Achilles' tendon issue, and some succession planning has to be made for this vital area of the pitch.
None of these issues are necessarily unique to Arsenal, the transfer market is changing and players may well be inclined to let their contracts run down, but when you consider the difficulties the club have had this summer, it's got to be a worry.
Their struggles with recruitment are nothing new, and concerns about their efficiency in the transfer market go back a long way. Arsenal have a track record of coming close to making signings without getting them across the line, and we've seen that again this summer with Thomas Lemar. Almost everyone has been able to tempt Monaco into a sale apart from the Gunners.
The presence, just a week before the end of the transfer window, of players deemed surplus to requirements also highlights their inability to manage the necessary outgoings, and as illustrated there's a huge amount to do when it comes to contract renewals.
All this, on top of Wenger's illogical team selections, do nothing to convince there's a cohesive strategy at the football club. At board level, off the field, on the field, it feels like they're firefighting, and just two games into the new season that's concerning.
Of course, the next week could see many issues sorted one way or the other, and provide some very welcome clarity, but before the window closes Arsenal have to go to Anfield and get some kind of result. Otherwise they'll just add further fuel to what's already a difficult fire to deal with.