While Manchester United only needs a point Saturday to match Liverpool's record haul of 18 English league titles, Arsenal has a point to prove in the next-to-last round of the Premier League season.
The Gunners haven't won the league for five years and will add to an already disappointing season if they hand the title to Man United at Old Trafford.
United manager Alex Ferguson is wary of Arsenal crashing the party at home and leaving United to earn that point on the road next weekend against a Hull side battling relegation. That match is just three days before the Champions League final against Barcelona.
"What we want to try and do is win the league tomorrow, the European Cup final is 10 days away after tomorrow," Ferguson said on Friday. "We've got to concentrate on winning the league and, by doing that, we have to achieve that the best way. ...
"A point is always a dangerous game to play, thinking that a draw is enough. We have to go for a win."
United defender Rio Ferdinand is urging his teammates not to be complacent despite overwhelming Arsenal in the Champions League semifinals with a 4-1 aggregate win.
"Our performances in both legs of the semifinal were two of the best of the season," said the England center back, who will be sidelined Saturday with calf problems. "But it can sometimes be a dangerous situation when you beat a team fairly convincingly and play them again soon after, because they'll probably feel they have something to prove."
While Arsenal was once United's main title adversary, Liverpool is now the greater threat after pushing them hard all season.
Ferguson can win an 11th Premier League title on Saturday. But before 1993, when he delivered United's first league title for 26 years, Liverpool led the head-to-head record by 18-7 and the Scot never envisaged such a reversal of dominance.
"My intention was to win the first one and try and break the stranglehold Liverpool had on the title at that time," said Ferguson, who took charge in 1986. "You don't think about that opening the door for you, but that was the big challenge to win it once."
Trailing United by six points in the title race, Liverpool's slim hopes rest on United losing to Arsenal and Hull and it beating West Bromwich Albion and Tottenham to edge the Red Devils on goal difference.
"We have confidence that Arsenal will play a good game. They have lost their last two and this time you will see a totally different team intent on proving something about themselves," Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez said. "If they do that, hopefully it will give us our chance the following day.
"What ever happens, I am really pleased that we are in this position at the end of the season. But I am certainly not giving up on the title, we must always be positive."
For Arsenal, the mission is about building for the future. Arsene Wenger's team can only finish fourth in the standings, forcing the Gunners to play a qualifying match early next season to get into the group stage of the Champions League.
"Arsenal will want to do well because they've been under a bit of criticism recently ... (and) register their abilities on a day when everyone expects United to win the title," Ferguson said. "They are a good side with great potential in the team and you can't dismiss it."
