Hilariously, the certainty came amid the confusion. “What age am I?” Erin Cuthbert asks, turning to Chelsea’s baffled media officer. “Get it on Wikipedia. I actually don’t know.” After a quick check, the answer turned out to be 24. “Aye,” Cuthbert accepted. “I turn 25 this year, in a couple of months.” So, as the question before put, are you coming into your prime? The reply was quick and decisive. “No. I haven’t yet,” Cuthbert says. “I know there’s more to give.” Yet open up Chelsea’s trophy-winning machine under Emma Hayes and at its heart you will likely find the Scotland international, whirring away along with the cogs and gears and various parts. After last season’s FA Cup final win against Manchester City, Hayes declared her wish to have a squad of twenty Erin Cuthberts. The versatile midfielder had been awarded player of the match at Wembley, as much for her relentless drive to push Chelsea on in extra time than her strike to light up the final. “What a moment that was,” Cuthbert grins, and what a goal it was too, “especially when it comes down off the crossbar.” Chelsea return to Wembley on Sunday to face a new opponent in Manchester United - as well as what is expected to be a record crowd of almost 90,000, the highest ever for a women’s club match in England. Often with Cuthbert, the biggest contributions are saved for the biggest moments. “I would love to be the difference-maker,” she says, too humble to add “again”. Chelsea too hope to find themselves in a familiar position. Last year, Hayes’s side won their final 12 games of the season to win the Women’s Super League and FA Cup double. They were perfect over the run-in, and needed to be in order to beat Arsenal to the title and edge City at Wembley. Now Chelsea face the same opponent on both fronts, Manchester United, as well as the same task. With the finish line in sight, the objective is clear: beat United on Sunday and they’ll claim a third FA Cup in a row. Carry that on and win their remaining league games (starting tonight against Leicester) and they will add a fourth consecutive WSL crown. The challenge is both a physical and mental one. With games every three to four days and a squad hit by injuries, including to key players like Fran Kirby and Millie Bright, the demands have been heightened, the stakes too. Yet Chelsea have been here before. “Last year I didn’t sleep a wink in the final weeks of the season,” Cuthbert recalls. “I’m sleeping like a baby this time.” That isn’t to say the pressure is less, though. A requirement of playing under Hayes is fuelling the fire to go again, even as the competition for trophies gets tougher. “It feels like the first time,” Cuthbert adds. ”I’m driven as ever, motivated as ever. If I didn’t have the same drive and determination I wouldn’t be at this football club any more.” Cuthbert helps to set the standard. If Hayes was to create a team in a laboratory you would likely find Cuthbert’s DNA running through the side, but the Scotland international needed to be patient to get her chance - first with a regular run in the team, and now with a regular run in the same position. “I put my head down, worked hard and waited for the opportunities,” Cuthbert says. After spells as a forward and at wing-back, where Cuthbert was praised for her versatility as well as her application, she has nailed down her preferred role in the centre of midfield. It was still relatively new at the end of last season, when Cuthbert produced her standout performance in the FA Cup final, but there is no doubt that it is the area of the pitch where she can excel and exert the greatest influence. It is there where Cuthbert typifies Chelsea. Or perhaps it’s vice versa. After all, they share a number of dogged qualities, which can be traced back to Curthbert’s journey from Crosshouse Boys Club. Cuthbert’s fierce introduction to 11-a-side made it clear that football is as much about having the right attitude than ability. “There are certain players you want in battle and being from Scotland, a young girl from Ayrshire who has had to work for everything, I understand and I get it,” she says. “I want to be on that battlefield fighting for everyone else. We are all good football players, but it’s who wants to win the battle, who has the mentality, who has the mettle to give everything when you can’t give anything more.” Last year’s FA Cup final epitomised Chelsea’s grit - “I think just resilience, we never gave up” - but then came something that was arguably even greater. When Chelsea salvaged a miracle escape to stun Lyon and defeat the Champions League holders on penalties at Stamford Bridge, Cuthbert burst into tears, taking big, sobbing gulps at the drama her team had produced. “Nothing comes close to that feeling,” Cuthbert says. “This dressing room, we always seem to find a way. Even if we don’t have the answers, we go out and find them.” The Lyon victory gave Chelsea a lift. Their season needed one, following defeats to Arsenal in March’s Continental Cup final and then Manchester City in the WSL, but knocking out Lyon in the manner in which they did gave Chelsea a reminder of who they are. Even after their exit to Barcelona, Chelsea’s performance in the Nou Camp offered belief and injected energy ahead of the run-in. “It was a turning point,” Cuthbert said. “We haven’t let the Champions League exit derail our league season, or the Conti Cup. Everyone thought, ‘That’s it, Chelsea are falling apart, here we go’. Everyone wants to see us fail but the greatest thing about this team is we bounce back and show ourselves in big moments.” Cuthbert is increasingly decisive in those situations. The 24-year-old does not score often, but her goal contributions tend to frequently arrive at crucial times. Chelsea’s approach to big games plays into it. Hayes will often ask her side to sit deep and absorb pressure before striking on the counter-attack, where Cuthbert - as a ferocious presser - can help to make the difference. Her stunning assist for Guro Reiten to break the deadlock in Lyon came from such a position, as did last season’s screamer against City at Wembley. Now Chelsea must go again, and against a United team under Mark Skinner who are hungry to lift the club’s first major title. For Chelsea, having the right attitude to match United’s on their historic occasion will be as important as their tactical plans. The holders have a target on their backs. “It’s our job to prove we are still at the top,” Cuthbert says. “Trying to remain there is probably the hardest thing. It requires you to adapt and change the way you play a little bit - because everyone starts to figure you out. It’s hard and requires a lot of training and mental toughness.” And in the middle of the Wembley battlefield on Sunday, it will be Cuthbert who reinforces that message. Read More Chelsea keep pressure on leaders Manchester United with huge win over Everton Emma Hayes feels Chelsea must be perfect in WSL run-in to win the title Manchester City v Real Madrid – The key questions after first leg of semi-final Vincent Kompany planning ‘smart’ recruitment and ‘healthy decisions’ for Burnley Look back at Gothenburg Greats as Aberdeen mark 40th anniversary of European win

India is set to kick off a second batch of sovereign green bond sales in a test of

The president says airlines, banks, hotels and concert vendors are playing Americans "for suckers".

Formula 1 heads back to one of its most famous sites as Silverstone hosts the 2023 British Grand Prix this weekend. Last time out in Austria, Max Verstappen continued his dominant form with a fifth straight win this season, extending his lead in the world championship to 81 points to team-mate Sergio Perez. Lewis Hamilton endured a mixed weekend in Spielberg with Mercedes, while Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc finished on the podium. Hamilton, George Russell and Lando Norris will be eyeing strong results this weekend at their home race. Free practice 1 starts at 12:30pm; FP2 is at 4pm. Follow British Grand Prix updates with The Independent: Read More British Grand Prix: 20 years since Irish ‘lunatic’ invaded the track at Silverstone Why is Brad Pitt filming at Silverstone during the British Grand Prix? Lewis Hamilton supports ‘peaceful’ protests at British Grand Prix this weekend

The United States’ top international development chief is heading to Serbia and Kosovo this week to meet with leaders there

The cancer drug Folotyn, one of the most expensive in the US, received a short-cut approval from US

History is a malleable thing, and Turnberry must be the only world class golf course with two origin stories. There’s the astounding links which was founded in 1906 and hosted four Open championships, including the iconic “Duel in the Sun” between Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus in 1977, and there’s Trump Turnberry: a beacon of lavish luxury sitting proud along the landscape, sitting shiny and bold on the edge of Scotland’s wild west coast. Let’s address the orange elephant in the room now before we go on: Trump’s name is everywhere. When they bought the place in 2014, the Trump Group set about turning the place into a haven for golfers, celebrities and tourists alike, in search of links golf perfection and top-end customer experience. They’ve managed to do exactly that, but Trump was never going to be a silent owner. That’s hardly his style after all, and there is no doubt that the name alone will deter some from coming. He must be fully aware that his politics and personal reputation will make people think twice about the place, as deeply impressive as it is, and he clearly doesn’t care one iota. What was clear and obvious, though, is that since purchasing the place, the elemental landscape is unmoved, the two outstanding courses here are deeply impressive, and truly transcendent golfing experiences are ready to be had here. I sampled the newly-launched Ailsa membership during my stay on this breezy, sun-kissed patch of Scotland, and it was clear not only that the golfing facilities and the hotel are some the finest in the world, but that the Ailsa course is as close to the perfect links golf course as I have had the pleasure of playing. It has an interesting past, this place. The enormous Turnberry hotel was designed by James Miller in 1906 to fit alongside the new railway and was used during both wars to house the military. It sits high on the hill, guiding players home along the back nine holes of the main Ailsa course and second track the King Robert the Bruce. The sheer scale of the place is impressive in itself. The Trump group transformed the building with opulent touches since purchasing it back in 2014 and added a grand ballroom which regularly hosts wedding ceremonies and adds even more size to the building. We walked by intriguing whisky tasting areas and lavish ceremonial suites on the way up to our quarters, which both came with palatial bathrooms with golden fittings and beautiful views out towards the coast from the generous rooms. There are a couple of excellent dining options for golfers looking to find comfort after coming off the course, as you’d expect. The Duel in the Sun restaurant in the clubhouse was refurbished in 2016 and offers smart, but relaxed surroundings for post-round debriefs overlooking the 18th holes of both the King Robert the Bruce and the Ailsa – the latter having played host to the most dramatic finishes to the Opens of 1977 and 2009, where Stewart Cink clinched victory from veteran Tom Watson and denied him the fairy-tale finish. The plusher 1906 restaurant is found in the hotel, with views catching the last light of the day looking down the hill to the coast. Named after the year the hotel was opened, the menu offers refined, locally inspired cuisine, and a really excellent wine list – a hearty glass of Gigondas always goes down well, but never more so than after a long round of golf, looking out as the sun sets over Scotland’s stunning west coast. Ailsa Club members also have access to the exceptional spa facilities, including a 65-foot heated infinity pool with views of Ailsa Craig and complete with men’s and women’s steam rooms and saunas – which proved perfect for getting out of the wind after our windy, damp round on the first day - as well as a gym decked out with top of the range equipment. There was also a trip to the stables to meet the horses, which can be taken out for a gallop on Turnberry beach and treks around the estate, or hired out for riding lessons. The extracurricular offers include clay shooting, paddle boarding and kayaking, too. Golf, though, is king. There are three courses to choose from here: the famous Ailsa, the championship King Robert the Bruce and the 9-hole Arran. Almost anywhere else in the world the King Robert the Bruce course would be a standout all on its own, which will test players of all abilities and provide some of the best views in Scottish golf. A battering, bludgeoning wind added a little spice to our game here, with great ‘risk and reward’ holes right along the edge of the land. The Arran is also a gem of a links track and kept in fantastic condition, and the golf academy is kitted out with a state-of-the-art fitting centre and a driving range with yet more picturesque views out to the land’s edge. There’s no doubt that the famous Ailsa is the jewel in the crown, though, tying all the opulence around it together and grounding it in links golf perfection. The course was altered in 2016 and the influence of the American owners translates in subtle ways - despite the hot weather in the weeks before our visit, the course had been extensively watered, ensuring a lush feel and springy fairways that still allowed for plenty of roll out off the tee. It was my first time playing the course, so I was unable to compare the major changes made in 2016 by course designer Martin Ebert to what came before. But turning the par-4 ninth hole in the shadow of the famous Turnberry lighthouse into a par-3 makes for an incredibly dramatic experience. It has to rank among the best par-3s anywhere in the world: hitting over craggy cliff face is daunting enough from the yellow and white tees, but playing off the championship tees with a 240-yard carry to the green with the waves below is an entirely different level - if the wind gets up from back there, you may as well throw your ball in the water and save yourself the effort. Another major change comes a short while later at the 11th. Previously, the hole saw players aim inland, but now the green is located right next to the land’s edge on yet another stunning, stand-out hole that brings an end to a remarkable stretch right along the coast. Golfers talk about the “framing” of certain holes, with the surroundings often more important than the hole itself when it comes to creating impact. Turnberry has to be one of the best framed courses in the world. There’s the lighthouse and the Ailsa Craig peeking over the humps and hollows on most holes, and of course the Firth of Clyde skirting alongside too. Tough though they are, there’s still something in both courses for the mid to higher handicappers. Of course, they’ll reward better ball strikers and those better able to read subtle breaks on the greens. But having played brutal links courses along this same coastline that beat me up good and proper, the Ailsa left me feeling confident and ready to play again straight away. It’s the kind of place you come off feeling grateful to have played, with an experience you never forget. What part of my experience of the course will live longest in the memory for players trying it for the first time? Something sensory, perhaps, like the salty air whipping off the ocean and stinging the nostrils, or the feel of the bouncy fairways under foot. The silhouette of the lighthouse framing signature hole after signature hole, maybe, or the enormous Scotland flag stood commandingly by the 18th green, blowing with the prevailing southerly wind which is the course’s biggest natural defence on restless days. For me, there’s a more easily defined memory I’ll cherish, and it’s the sight of my brother making a hole in one on the sixth hole right by the land’s edge, letting out a visceral howl of joy and disbelief, before taking off like a greyhound towards the green to pluck his ball from the cup: a magical moment caught in time which embodied the transcendent nature of this sensational golf course. It brought home that Turnberry’s Ailsa course has been there for over a century and will remain constant, even while the context of its surroundings and its history may change. Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

Legendary heavy metal band Judas Priest unveil details of long-awaited 19th studio album 'Invincible Shield'.

Madness will release their 13th studio album, 'Theatre Of the Absurd Presents C’est La Vie', in November.

SAVE 20%: As of May 26, Bissell is having a sitewide Memorial Day sale, with

Wildfrost is a new deckbuilding roguelike game coming soon to Nintendo Switch and PC (via Steam) in Winter 2022, Chucklefish

Surprise package Girona failed to return to the top of La Liga on Monday after they were held 1-1 draw...