An excusable, overdue blip for an otherwise impressive team or the perfect expression of the systemic failings which indicate Arsenal have no chance of winning the title?
The true significance of Arsenal's 2-1 defeat to Everton will only be established in time but at the very least, a damaging result exposed some of the major faultlines which have undermined Arsenal over the past decade and may yet do so again.
There are two strands of doubt which seem to infect Arsenal every season at some stage, contributing to their inability to challenge at the top of the table, and both of them came together in one desperately poor moment at the end of their match at Goodison Park on Tuesday night.