LONDON, April 15: Last season the venue was Old Trafford and the pressure was all on Manchester United. This time, the most important game of the English season takes place at Highbury and champions Arsenal are the team with everything to lose.

Arsene Wenger’s side, through to the FA Cup final and seeking an unprecedented second successive domestic Double, cannot afford to lose.

United head the table with 70 points from 33 games, while Arsenal have 67 points from 32 matches and a superior goal difference by one.

Should they beat their rivals, Manchester United would be six points clear at the top with four games left.

Arsenal would have five games to play and Alex Ferguson’s side probably have the tougher run-in, but United would have an enormous psychological edge for the final few games.

United have only partially avenged the painful 1-0 defeat at Old Trafford last May, when Arsenal clinched their second league and cup Double in five seasons. Ferguson’s team won 2-0 in the premier league at Old Trafford in December, but lost by the same score at the same venue in the FA Cup fifth round two months ago.

They have won their last five league games 2-1, 1-0, 3-0, 4-0 and 6-2. Saturday’s rout of supposed title rivals Newcastle United was a spectacular demonstration of their attacking potential, with midfielder Paul Scholes’s hat-trick at the heart of a wonderful recovery from 1-0 down.

With nine goals in his last six games for club and country, Dutch striker Ruud van Nistelrooy looks back to his best.

Keane (dead leg), defender Wes Brown (hamstring), winger Ryan Giggs (hamstring) and goalkeeper Fabien Barthez (toe) should all be fit.

Arsenal can take heart from the way European champions Real Madrid dismantled United’s defence in their 3-1 Champions League win last Tuesday, with the central defensive pairing of Rio Ferdinand and Brown looking far from secure.

Arsenal hope to see the return of creative midfielder Robert Pires, who has missed two games with an ankle problem.

Wenger largely rested strikers Thierry Henry, the leading contender to be named footballer of the year, and Dennis Bergkamp against Sheffield United.

French international Sylvain Wiltord will hope to continue his good record against United, having scored the winner in last season’s title decider and the second goal in February’s FA Cup win.—Reuters