In the end it came down to a cutting edge borne out of experience, patience and an underlying confidence in their own ability. In an epic sporting Sunday both Manchester United and Roger Federer stamped their authority on Arsenal and Andy Murray respectively, earning plaudits for their rapier play and leaving their vanquished opponents with heads bowed in collective disbelief.
Three Premier League points for Sir Alex Ferguson and a fourth Australian Open tennis title for Roger Federer. Another dose of reality for Arsene Wenger's Gunners and young Scot Andy Murray; playing with the big boys is one thing, beating them is very much another.
The notion of ‘potential’ in sport has long been bandied around as a positive attribute to cheer those who’ve come close to tasting success but been left bitter by defeat. For both Arsenal and Andy Murray it is exactly this youthful vigour which is so often revealed as flawed.
Having suffered defeat by the same scoreline in the Champions League semi-final against Manchester United last season and having generously gifted three goals to Carlo Ancelotti’s Chelsea in November, the depressing reality for Arsenal fans is that they are anything but favourites when it comes to playing their title rivals.
Despite being the Premier League's top scorers and arguably the most exciting side to watch in England, if not Europe, the Gunners tactical and defensive naivety and lack of concentration makes for a suicidal mix when paired against the solidity and physical presence of their ‘been there, done that’ rivals. There can be no doubt that Arsene Wenger will this morning be tearing his hair out when he replays the inept defending of messrs Clichy, Nasri, Denilson, Almunia…the list goes on.
To a certain extent the same can be said of tennis star Andy Murray. While the Scot demonstrates an ability to dominate against lesser opponents, he is all too often found wanting when the going gets tough. He has all the key core attributes to win a Grand Slam but his body language, mentality and inexperience all too often seem to contaminate his game.
His semi-final defeat in last year’s Wimbledon final against Andy Roddick, his US Open final hammering at the hands of Federer and Sunday’s match-up with the Swiss all showed that he still lacks the pedigree to go up a gear in the biggest matches. Obviously, when you’re faced by tennis' greatest ever player there is no shame in coming second, but with young peers Juan Martin del Potro, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic all securing major success, the Scot’s struggle for his first Grand Slam is taking on career defining importance.
For both Arsenal and Andy Murray the fear is that a constant fall at the last hurdle will produce a mental block which could hinder them for years. Both face the prospect of perennial ‘nearly men’ status, a depressing state of affairs for those who choose to believe... but continually find their hopes dashed.
A harsh assessment of both Arsenal and Murray? Well perhaps, but at the top level sport is cruel and the line between winning and losing is clearly defined.