Arsenal have a mental problem and have had for a number of years
Thats what you get (amongst other things) when you buy cheap in bulk and have little "built" in experience of winning over and over
Fergie has bought cheaply in the past (£5.5m / £7m for Evra/Vidic) - and yes they did diabolically in their first match, but they were also surrounded by players experienced in winning things , who could help them through the next few matches and they havent looked back since.
How many players in the Arsenal squad have won anything significant (or even got close) - Cesc, VP....anyone else? and one of those is nearly always injured (what stat was in the commentary today, VP has played 20+ EPL fixtures once in the 6 years at the club?)
There is no collective belief that they can win something. Admittedly there was only 5 minutes or so (incl injury time) left but did ANY Arsenal player believe they could get back to 2-2 at the end (which would at least give them another 30 mins to get another)? Everyone knows that Utd try until the last second (as has been shown on multiple occasions), and until recently Chelsea have had the same, or at least its been working until recently.
How many 1st choice (or verging on) players were out there today for Arsenal, 5 or 6 maybe more? VP , Nasri, (Arshavin?), Wilshere, Song, Sagna & Szczesny - maybe a couple of those are debatable 1st choice I dont know, but that must be about right.
AW may not have had lots to spend - but he COULD have spent £20m on a player per season in the last few years and the money would have been available , and the club would have been in a MUCH better position and maybe even have won a few trophies in the intervening period. That money (maybe not on the first player, but after 2 or 3 seasons of doing it) would have bought this mental strength to the team that it desperately requires
As he mentioned on the VT before today's game - AW's policy is very admirable IF it works - the problem is that the last 5 years it hasnt and really doesnt look that close to winning. At the final hurdle the squad doesnt believe in itself enough
Always so near - yet also always so far (yes Arsenal fans, you can carry on about the CL final you got to, this final today - but to be so near and yet that far away from winning it - it could be argued it makes the situation worse rather than better after several near misses)
There are some stunning naturally gifted players in the Arsenal squad (JW, Nasri, even Szczesny probably to name a few) but there is a big question mark whether they can become the best players they are capable of becoming if they continue to lose games like today and dont build the mental toughness to see things through until the end and actually win something.
arsenal fanmate of mine said today would define the rest of the season for them... Damn right, not going to win a thing 
