Manchester United will say goodbye to its league title if it loses at Arsenal tomorrow, while the Gunners will celebrate a record unbeaten run.
An Arsenal victory on its own Highbury turf will put Arsene Wenger's team 15 points ahead of Alex Ferguson's men with just eight games to go.
Even Ferguson admits the title's all but gone. But he hopes Sunday's game will set his side up for another confrontation with the Gunners a week later they they meet in the FA Cup semifinal.
"You always live in hope but, as far as the Premiership is concerned, we are running out of time and games," the veteran United manager said Friday.
"The more important issue is that if we win this game, we can really look forward to the semifinal. I have had my eye on that match since the draw was made and hopefully we can go into it with confidence."
By avoiding defeat against the Reds, the Gunners will have stretched their unbeaten run since the beginning of the season to 30 games. That would them past Leeds (1973-1974) and Liverpool (1987-1988), whose streaks ended at 29.
With so much at stake, there's a good chance that tempers could boil over at Highbury.
When the two powerhouse clubs met early in the season, the game ended in a brawl as the Reds missed a late penalty and the Gunners gained a 0-0 tie at Old Trafford.
With another meeting in the FA Cup semifinals at neutral Villa Park also looming a week from now, the players may have some old scores to settle from the game in September.
United is realistically looking at the FA Cup for its only success of the season, while Arsenal is chasing a triple triumph of league, cup and Champions League.
Patrick Vieira, Sol Campbell and Robert Pires all need fitness tests before Sunday's game after picking up injuries in Wednesday's 1-1 Champions League tie with Chelsea. Ashley Cole suffered knee ligament damage and won't face the Reds.
Wenger may be tempted to rest his injured stars so they are fit for the FA Cup and Champions League games. He knows that Ferguson will order his team not to hold back when it comes to tackles.
Roy Keane is back to add muscle to the Man U midfield and will come up against Arsenal captain Vieira. Gary Neville returns from a four-game suspension to line up in the United defense to stop the runs of Pires and Thierry Henry. Roy Carroll stays in goal after Ferguson's decision to give American 'keeper Tim Howard a break.
Wenger says he doesn't want his players to be distracted by the melee that marred the Old Trafford game.
"We came out and said that was not the way we wanted to behave and since then we have changed our ways and concentrated on our football," the Arsenal manager said.
United has badly missed defender Rio Ferdinand, who is serving an eight-month ban for failing to show up for a drug test. Wes Brown came back from injury to take his place but his blunders have led to United dropping valuable points.
Louis Saha hopes to have recovered from an Achilles injury to face the Gunners in partnership with Ruud van Nistelrooy. Arsenal is without England leftback Ashley Cole, who suffered a knee injury in Wednesday's Champions League 1-1 tie with Chelsea.
Today's other games are Birmingham-Leeds, Blackburn-Portsmouth, Charlton-Aston Villa, Everton-Middlesbrough, Manchester City-Fulham and Southampton-Tottenham. Tomorrow, Bolton hosts Newcastle and Liverpool goes to Leicester.
SCOTTISH LEAGUE
A victory in Sunday's Old Firm game could help Rangers' fans forget about their dismal season.
The match at Rangers' Ibrox will be the fourth this season between the two Scottish giants, and Rangers are 0-3 so far having lost 1-0, 3-0 and 1-0.
Rangers and former Everton defender Michael Ball is hoping to break his bad run. He has played against Celtic four times -- and lost all four.
"When I was at Everton, I had a good record against Liverpool but it's been the other way round up here for me," Ball said.
"People always ask me if it compares with the Merseyside derby and, at the start, I always said the games were comparable. But, as you get involved in a lot more Old Firm games, you realize they are special occasions."
Celtic, after losing to FC Porto in the UEFA Cup finals last season, reached the quarterfinals of the UEFA Cup on Thursday, eliminating Barcelona 1-0 on aggregate.
Celtic is all but certain of winning the Scottish Premier League title, leading Rangers by 16 points with nine matches to play. Hearts are third, 34 points behind Celtic.
"Sunday's game is one for the fans and we want to give them a boost for next season," Ball said.
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