Victory over Sunderland yesterday saw the Gunners finish the season just four points behind United, two points behind Chelsea - and in Wenger's mind, that was near enough a dead heat - almost too close to call over the course of 38 games.

He said: "We finished the season with 83 points, which I think is very respectable - I have won championships with less than that.

"In my opinion we lost a 100m race by a fraction of a second.

"If someone puts their chest in front of you at the finish line, that doesn't mean that you haven't ran a great 100m.

"The Premiership was exciting to the last game of the season for the first time in three or four years, and I believe there's no doubt we contributed to that.

"There was very little difference between the three teams which were vying for the title.

"Any little weakness a side might have was punished - it just highlights the level of the competition that there is now at the top.

"I think where Manchester United made the difference was at home.

"They took less points away from home than us and Chelsea, but they got 16 victories at home, and that was an ability that they used to their advantage.

"I look back on the season with disappointment because we fought and worked so hard, and you're never happy with finishing third.

"But I have hope for the future because we have such a young side, and to reach 83 points is impressive.

"We made a big improvement on last season - 15 points more than last time around - and we were very, very close to the title.

"But I think a combination of a little bad luck and a lot of youthfulness maybe cost us."

The Arsenal boss though is pleased with the progress of his squad and believes that games like the one at the Stadium of Light yesterday, coupled with the disappointment of not seeing their tilt at the title prove successful, will only stand his players in good stead.

"It was not easy to win at the Stadium of Light," he mused.

"It is always difficult to play at your best when you're not going for something concrete, but we got another victory away from home and that is a good thing to get.

"For us, the game itself was mabye an anti-climax but part of football is the way you do your job when it is less prestigious and less glamorous than it might have been.

"And I think that was something we did well - we didn't concede a goal and we should have scored more.

"I feel we can only be stronger next season. I think we have learned.

"When you are a winner, you go through a process where you have to lose to improve and that is what we have done."

Wenger was heartened by the fact that a squad so vast and so young can only get better, and he hopes his kids will follow the example of England man Theo Walcott, who is beginning to deliver on the undoubted promise he has always possessed.

He said: "Walcott is having a good education in midfield although in the future I see him as a more central striker.

"He started the season as just a promising young player and finished it as someone ready to fight for a regular place in the side.

"His next step is to produce very consistent performances and I'm hopeful for him because he can be decisive in games, as I hope a number of my players will be.

"Our average age in this game was 22.3 years without the substitutes' bench, and with the bench we would have gone down to 20.

"So the game against Sunderland proved we have a very young side which can still play in a very mature way away from home - something which is not easy.

"Now I believe that we can get stronger as a squad if we use our intelligence.

"You have to take a reasonable view of things and there is no escaping the fact that we got 83 points.

"I believe that quality wise we have been remarkably consistent all season, it's just that one or two little things have let us down over the course of the campaign.

"So to Sir Alex Ferguson and Manchester United I would say 'congratulations' - winning the title is a great achievement.

"But now prepare to do battle again next season."