Wenger and Ferguson are left to fight it out for the Premiership crown

Technically of course it is not, but if either team is able to steal maximum points from their closest rivals then the Premiership crown will be theirs to win or lose.

Newcastle saw their own title hopes go up in smoke as Sir Alex Ferguson's men served up a 6-2 goal-fest at St James's Park on Saturday.

ARSENAL'S FIXTURES 16 Apr Man Utd (h) 19 Apr M'boro (a) 26 Apr Bolton (a) 04 May Leeds (h) 07 May So'ton (h) 11 May S'land (a)

Ferguson has billed Wednesday's Highbury showdown as, "the game of the season".

And there is so little in it that determining who has the upperhand before the match is no mean feat.

Man Utd are undoubtedly in pole position as they nestle three points clear at the top of the table on the back of a 13-match unbeaten run in the league.

Despite hiccups in the Champions League and the Worthington Cup final, Ferguson believes his side have peaked at just the right time.

"We have built up form and momentum in the last few weeks and the motivation in the dressing room has been fantastic," Ferguson said.

But Arsene Wenger can be quietly confident that his side have the edge - Arsenal have a vital game in hand and a slightly better goal difference.

That means that even if the game ends in a draw and both sides win their remaining matches, Arsenal will still retain their title.

Arsenal no longer have to grapple with the pressures of European football and the only distraction will be an FA Cup final against Southampton - and the small matter of Patrick Vieira only being rated 50-50 for the Highbury encounter.

Wenger also knows that his side can draw inspiration from their 1-0 victory at Old Trafford last May which sealed the Double in style.

MAN UTD'S FIXTURES 16 Apr Arsenal (a) 19 Apr B'burn (h) 27 Apr Spurs (a) 03 May Charlton (h) 11 May Everton (a)

"We know that Manchester United are a good side, but we know that we can beat them. It has happened before," Wenger said.

Trips to Middlesbrough and relegation-threatened Bolton appear the most likely places where Arsenal may drop points.

Man Utd have what looks like the more tricky run-in, with three away fixtures and only two at Old Trafford, as well as the small matter of turning round their Champions League quarter-final with Real Madrid at home.

Interestingly, Ferguson's men face teams, who while they might not be engaged in the relegation battle, are all still in the hunt for European qualification.

Both title contenders are away on the final day of the season, with Arsenal at Sunderland and United at Everton.