To say meetings of Arsenal and Manchester United have become highly competitive is an understatement, and while today's Community Shield encounter in Cardiff is unlikely to end in overheated histrionics and FA charges - Ruud van Nistelrooy is not playing - it might not pass off uneventfully either.
'Pride is at stake now,' Sir Alex Ferguson said. 'This game is not a barometer for the rest of the season and no one regards it as that, but once the teams take the field it will be more than just a warm-up match.'
Ferguson wisely declined the opportunity to gloat over the expected departure of Patrick Vieira, which looks imminent despite Arsène Wenger's unshakeable belief that he will remain an Arsenal player, and offered only the measured comment that the transfer to Real Madrid has not gone through yet. He also added diplomatically that any team would miss such a strong player.
Ferguson is not getting soft in his old age, however, and when asked whether he was expecting anyone to repeat Arsenal's achievement of going through a league sea son unbeaten he bit like a perch.
'That was a one-off,' he said. 'Arsenal accumulated most points last season so they won the title fairly enough, but they didn't display championship form. They had too many draws. I think they came to a point around January where they realised they could go through the season undefeated, and that was a great driving force for them, but they had to stay undefeated to compensate for the number of draws. It was still an incredible achievement, though.'
Wenger refused to rise to the bait. 'Everybody has the freedom to make a judgment,' he retorted. 'In the last 20 minutes of every game last season, we were never behind. That means we had already done the job before. There were draws, but, most of the time, it was because of other teams coming back into the game, not because we were negative. Overall, we got huge recognition all over the country, not just for staying unbeaten but because of the way we played.'
United are preparing to start the season without half-a-dozen senior players, the Olympic Games having deprived them of Cristiano Ronaldo and Gabriel Heinze, injury accounting for Van Nistelrooy and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, and suspension ruling out Darren Fletcher and Rio Ferdinand.
Ferguson is unhappy with the Olympics situation. 'Apparently, it's supposed to be for amateurs, and money earned is put in trust, but we will be paying their wages while they are away so I don't know what that's all about.'
Arsenal have more serious problems, with Vieira and Sol Campbell ruled out through injuries, while Thierry Henry is unlikely to play a significant part. 'We look very young in training and are lightweight experience-wise,' said Wenger. 'The injuries make me anxious. The other players now have to take responsibility.'
Likely line-ups
Arsenal
Lehmann; Lauren, Touré, Cygan, Cole; Van Persie, Gilberto, Ljungberg, Pires; Henry, Reyes.
Man United
Howard; G Neville, O'Shea, Silvestre, P Neville; Fletcher, Keane, Scholes, Giggs; Saha, Smith.