Wenger must place faith in youth if Arsenal are to sustain challenge

It is only a short stroll from Highbury's vale of tears to the plot of land which could prove the making, or breaking, of Arsène Wenger's quest to overthrow Manchester United. Ashburton Grove is the name which will headline the next phase in Arsenal's history but it is as likely to be engraved upon a tombstone of their desires as up in lights above a field of dreams.

The proposed site of Arsenal's new 60,000-seat ground has already swallowed £48m which could have been spent reinforcing the team's crumbling defence. The anticipated final cost has mushroomed from £200m to twice that. As a consequence Wenger's transfer budget has been limited to £10m per annum until 2006, the current date for the ground's completion. That is a year behind the original schedule and with construction, re-location and financing delays bringing work to an apparent standstill, that deadline cannot be guaranteed. For Wenger, and such prized players as Robert Pires, Patrick Vieira, Sol Campbell and Thierry Henry, it must seem a long way off.

Unsurprisingly, there are constant rumours linking Arsenal with a move to Wembley but that project is still far from complete itself and a ground-share, whether with just the Football Association or with Tottenham as well, is fraught with difficulties.

Yet Arsenal have to move somewhere. Without increasing capacity from Highbury's 38,500 the club can never consistently outgun Manchester United. Each season United take an extra £32m in match-day revenue, plus the associated profits from greater sales at merchandising and catering outlets. It is why Wenger spent £2m on a centre-half last summer and Sir Alex Ferguson 15 times as much.

The Arsenal board have been criticised for their parsimony but the risks of spending money you may not generate was highlighted by the parlous state of Sunday's opponents. Leeds fans may have been the ones celebrating at Highbury but no Arsenal supporter would swap places this morning. Moreover, Wenger's record when spending big does not inspire confidence. Thierry Henry (£10m) was a wonderful signing and Robert Pires has justified his £7m fee but Sylvain Wiltord (£11m), Francis Jeffers (£8m), Giovanni van Bronckhorst (£7m) and the already departed Richard Wright (£6m) have not.

Ferguson has been just as errant with Rio Ferdinand, Diego Forlan and Juan Sebastian Veron all under-performing their price, but what United's spending power buys is the knowledge that, in domestic competition at least, he can afford occasional mistakes. The decisive player in their surge to the title was Ruud van Nistelrooy who, at £19m, was well outside Wenger's reach.

Thus, Arsenal's desire for a bigger stadium – and they are not alone. Newcastle have already increased capacity to 52,000, Manchester City will move into the Commonwealth Stadium next season. Liverpool, Leeds, Everton and Tottenham are planning new, larger, homes. Chelsea hope their increased capacity, high prices and the retail dimension of Chelsea Village will bridge the gap.

While these developments filter through, and some are barely more than aspirations, rivals will have to find other means of catching the new champions. One area they must match United in is in youth development. Compelling though Van Nistelrooy's ruthless mastery of the penalty box was it would not have been enough in itself. United's late run also owed much to the form of Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and John O'Shea, all of whom joined the club for nothing as boys.

In youth development terms they each represent a different generation, testament to the enduring quality of the system Ferguson put in place more than a decade ago. With a tweaking last summer it continues to produce with Kieron Richardson and Darren Fletcher next in line.

Any attempt to overthrow United has, then, to be a patient, two-pronged assault. Players as well as income must be generated. Leeds, if they survive their reckless attempt to buy their way to United's level, have an impressive crop; there are promising signs at Chelsea; and Arsenal's youngsters, schooled by Liam Brady and Don Howe, regularly lift silverware. At Newcastle Sir Bobby Robson, finding a youth system neglected by previous administrations, has taken a short-cut, buying talent nurtured elsewhere.

Crucially, the game's oldest manager has also put his faith in these young men. On Saturday the average age of his team was 23.1 years, the Premiership's youngest of the weekend. Arsenal's was 29.3, a figure only exceeded by Bolton. Though Wenger talked on Sunday of the potential in the ranks the only graduate he has trusted to date is Ashley Cole. Jermaine Pennant's performance on Sunday seemed to justify Wenger's reluctance to use the England Under-21 international but, if he had appeared more often, he would not have felt he had to prove himself by beating four men every time he got the ball.

It is not just to Ashburton Grove, that Wenger must look if as he seeks to catch Ferguson, but also under his nose.