Men against boys | How United rated | How Arsenal rated | United marching on Rome | How the action unfolded
Patrick Barclay’s verdict | Matt Dickinson: Ferguson closes on greatness | Cascarino: Arsenal found wanting
Sympathy no consolation for Fletcher | Graphic: Talking tactics | Graphic: Breaking point

The more Sir Alex Ferguson thinks (to paraphrase Gary Player), the luckier he gets. In the time it took us to admit that his team selection had us stumped, Arsenal fell two goals behind on the night and the only question that remained was whom Manchester United would meet in Rome. Albeit without Darren Fletcher, who made his own bad luck with an untimely piece of botched heroism.

It was not as if Ferguson, like Peter Cook’s officer in Beyond the Fringe, needed a futile gesture. The match had been won for an hour when Fletcher wrapped his legs around Cesc Fàbregas, leaving Roberto Rosetti little choice. That Fletcher nicked the ball while committing the foul was irrelevant under the revised law. However great the sympathy for one of football’s most mysteriously underrated players, an appeal would appear pointless.

Ferguson accepted that while enjoying the fruits of a ten-minute tactical triumph that had emphasised the value of clear, fresh thinking that somehow, at 67, the United manager can summon in abundance.

Of all possible arrangements of his front three, the least likely had seemed Cristiano Ronaldo as spearhead with Park Ji Sung and Wayne Rooney wide. And what had been the odds against Anderson as the most advanced midfield player? Surely his job was to stifle Fàbregas. Yet Anderson emerged as a young Paul Scholes, slipping Ronaldo behind the defence and watching - this is where luck took a hand - as Kieran Gibbs fell over, allowing Park to score. Poor Gibbs. The 19-year-old should enjoy a bountiful future, but at 7.52pm last night he cut a figure of hopeless dejection, staring at the sky through his hands.

Ronaldo continued to terrorise Arsenal, playing much as you might expect Didier Drogba to should Chelsea again reach the final. Whatever Ferguson wants, the Portuguese phenomenon can provide: right wing, left wing, off the front, centre forward. This performance, which neither Drogba nor any other centre forward could have bettered, suggested Ronaldo was tired of all the talk of others winning the awards on which he has established a near-monopoly.

The crowd vented some of its frustration on him, unfairly accusing him of making too much of challenges. Typical was the honest attempt Alexandre Song made to halt one of his runs. Song went for the ball, but Ronaldo was too quick for him and his jabbing studs caught the United man’s near foot. As Ronaldo fell, Fàbregas fell on top of him. And yet he was booed for not immediately leaping to his feet with a watermelon smile.

His appetite withstood the battering and Ronaldo both started and finished the magnificent move - it should go into every coaching manual under “counter-attacking” - that was the highlight of the night. With a backheel, he fed Park and on the ball went to Rooney, whose typically unselfish service Ronaldo gobbled up; to think that these contrasting characters were briefly cast, after the 2006 World Cup, as enemies.

With the likes of Rooney and Park around - and Michael Carrick, and Fletcher and the rest of the team men - to prepare the ammunition, Ferguson can afford to have a swaggering egotist fire the bullets. But Ronaldo ceased to be the villain as the fans’ anger was turned on their own team.

Over two legs Arsène Wenger’s side proved nowhere near a match for the champions of England and Europe, it was true, but this is a time for counting blessings and it is almost axiomatic to state that Arsenal have an extremely promising squad to which Fàbregas is pledged whatever Barcelona or Real Madrid may wish. “They will be one of our biggest threats next season, because of their potential,” Ferguson said.

They also have a manager just about every club in Europe would like. With the notable exception, of course, of Manchester United. Ferguson’s problem now will be fitting a quart of talent into the pint pot that is his team for Rome. How, for example, can he again leave out Park, as in Moscow a year ago? Lucky man.