Let's hope Chelsea have more fight than Arsene Wenger's spiritless flops

Arsenal can claim ill luck with Kieran Gibbs's slip, an unkind free-kick, and a Ronaldo strike which Manuel Almunia should have saved.

But Manchester United were the better team by a country mile. Big games need big players and in Ronaldo, United had one. The crucial tactical call was Alex Ferguson's; to play Ronaldo up front to shake Arsenal up. And he did.

The Gunners had no one to match him. The lackadaisical Emmanuel Adebayor is a big man outside but not inside. Cesc Fabregas fought and Samir Nasri grafted but not for the first time, nor I suspect the last, Arsenal had no real leadership on the pitch and no spirit to battle back.

It's four years since they won anything and the chances of them doing so next season without Arsene Wenger spending not just big, but wisely, look negligible.

The saddest sight for London football was Arsenal fans, some of them apparently as spineless as their players, leaving in droves after barely an hour. The match ended with acres of empty seats; the kind of support the rope gives a hanging man. And in truth Arsenal were speedily executed last night by a United side who really wanted it.

Everyone should feel sorry for Darren Fletcher, getting sent off for a great tackle. Italian referee Roberto Rosetti was bad enough last night to be among the Premier League's finest. He should not be proud of his night's work, in particular, depriving a spirited grafter like Fletcher of his chance of participating in the final. Once again, the case for cameras was well made.

Chelsea's task tonight is not straightforward but eminently do-able. Putting Nicolas Anelka and Didier Drogba together up front could unsettle Barca's makeshift defence, running amok as ruthlessly as Ronaldo did last night.

John Terry and Alex have a strength Barcelona lack but everything will turn on the midfield. A big performance is needed from a fading Frank Lampard, who after a hard season, was a shadow of his usual self last week; from Michael Ballack, who has been living up to his star status of late, from the mercurial Florent Malouda, and especially from Michael Essien.

The Bison, the only player who runs Terry close in the popularity stakes, is another big man a big match needs. Tireless, strong, with a heart as great as his desire, we need him to be man of the match tonight, the crucial driving force to break up Barca attacks and carry the ball forward.

Barcelona deserve a beating for their ridiculous whining about last Tuesday, behaving like spoilt children.

It wasn't Chelsea's job to push forward, leave gaps, and be cut to ribbons. It was Chelsea's task to shut up shop and they did so magnificently.

All that Catalan talk about "bullies" was simply pathetic.

Chelsea should make them pay tonight, but it all depends, in an erratic season, which Chelsea turn up. Hopefully it will be the one full of wise old heads who know tonight opens the way to their best hope of European glory.

Why I pray the fallen Hitman has taken on his final contract

Ricky Hitman' Hatton says he needs time to decide whether to retire after his weekend thrashing by Manny Pacquiao. Why? 

He was unconscious for three minutes, and incredibly lucky to be alive to lounge by a pool 48 hours later talking about his future. He may not be so fortunate next time. 

In the old days American fight fans used to laugh at Britain's "horizontal heavyweights" — journeymen who crossed the Atlantic to test nothing more than the referee's ability to count to 10. Hatton should have more pride than to want to become a lighter version of one of them. The image he should want to linger on in the minds of fans is that of a famous warrior, wading in, carrying all before him, and not a modern-day Don Cockell, or even worse Joe Bugner — and that is surely what will happen should he decide to fight on.

At least those guys had an excuse for what they did; they needed the money. Ricky doesn't, and should dedicate himself to making a success of his new gym and health club in Manchester, which opens next week.

An event, I say again, plenty of doctors will tell you he's lucky to see.

Joey exposes Shearer frailty

I can't be grateful to Joey Barton for much but at least he has exposed Alan Shearer's lack of man-management skills, a key element in any top manager's repertoire.

Shearer — obviously, and rightly — doesn't think much of Barton but was desperate enough to play him at the weekend, and then, when Barton behaved like the thug he is, hung him out to dry. Which, with any other player than Barton he would never have done. Nul points for that, Alan.

Having made your bed, you should have lain in it, not sought to disassociate yourself from your own decision after it all, predictably, went wrong.

Setanta's a turn-off

If Setanta go out of business, I won't shed any tears. Its coverage is pretty lousy, and I rarely watch a game where there hasn't been problems with the signal, thanks, I understand, to the satellite it uses. Sky' s coverage is much superior, and if it ends up doing all the Premier League, I won't complain, although the EU competition authorities undoubtedly will.

By the way, the revelation that Setanta's IPL coverage has been attracting only 30-50,000 viewers doesn't disappoint me either. It's about what that circus deserves. And if Freddie Flintoff and Kevin Pietersen can take them for more than £1 million for playing in it, well done them. As for Flintoff's injury, he could have done that any time. No wonder he wants to make money while he can with a body that, nowadays, appears to be just an injury waiting to happen.

Shoot-out made for thrilling entertainment

What's all the fuss from the old farts about rugby's first penalty shoot-out? 

For most of us it was thoroughly entertaining.

And anyway, so much easier than its football equivalent because there is no goalkeeper.

Professional rugby players should be able to kick a ball through the sticks from 20 yards, but the pressure of the shoot-out makes for a thrilling spectacle.

So what's the problem?