Analysis: My gut feeling suggests an Armagh victory. It'll be tight, tense, hugely combative and arguably represents the toughest game of the year to call but I just have an inkling that Armagh's greater physical strength will prove decisive.

There are a couple of areas in which they will have an edge, notably midfield. Philip Loughran and Paul McGrane are big and athletic and are used to patrolling that sector. They have the facility to win clean ball or at least break it on their terms.

The importance of gaining primary possession in a match where the teams are reasonably evenly matched cannot be overstated. Having won the ball, Armagh are one of the few teams who can move it quickly with the foot into the full-forward line. You cannot dwell on the ball in the midfield sector against Tyrone.

They swarm the recipient so quickly that those looking to take a touch often find themselves scragged remorselessly. Armagh, like Kerry, are comfortable moving the ball 40 yards or more with the boot, eschewing the three-pass option around midfield. It's a gambit I expect them to use regularly tomorrow.

Ronan Clarke is a terrific target-man in that respect, irrespective of whether the ball comes in high or low. He's been Armagh's outstanding forward and his form has allowed Steven McDonnell to play a subsidiary role in this championship. The pair have a good understanding.

Tyrone in contrast will opt for their familiar short-passing game, moving the ball at pace with close support runners hovering around the man in possession. It's more often a safer option but it drains the legs more over 70 minutes plus. They won't kick too much long ball.

Seán Cavanagh is the key player for Tyrone. I was surprised to note that Mickey Harte has selected him at midfield for this game. If he starts there I don't thing he'll hand around for long. Harte has been very clever in removing Cavanagh from the cluttered corridors of midfield and shifting him to the half-forward line where his pace and power in carrying ball is much more destructive.

His willingness to dive straight through that central tunnel down the middle of the pitch creates havoc, drawing players and fouls in equal measure. He can kick points or place others for goal chances. In midfield it would be easier for Armagh to keep tabs on him.

It'll be interesting to see what tactical option Joe Kernan will pursue to nullify Cavanagh's influence if he switches to the half-forward line. You have to find a player who can handle him physically and I'd expect Aidan O'Rourke to be assigned the task.

I believe the Clarke/McDonnell axis will find more room than their Tyrone counterparts Owen Mulligan, Stephen O'Neill and Ryan Mellon at the other end of the pitch. Armagh have the better full-back line and Mulligan and O'Neill, in particular, won't find Andy Mallon, Ciarán McKeever and Francie Bellew very accommodating. They'll make it very physical.

One aspiration for the contest in general is that it comes down to a game of football and not a war of attrition. Both teams have so much ability and it would be great if the match was a showcase of that talent. Both managers will make their charges aware of the folly of picking up an early yellow card. Discipline will be the watchword.

Referee Paddy Russell will obviously have a significant role as much for his interpretation and application. It an onerous task for any one individual and he needs the support of his linesmen. Armagh do have superior upper-body strength and tend to use that aggressively. There is no place for sledging in the game and it is one aspect of the game I'd love to see eradicated.

Harte has been very quick to rectify any shortcomings he comes across once the game starts and may have to be pro-active once again on Sunday if his full-back line fails to bed in. He has shown great courage in making those switches without fear or favour.

Armagh have the momentum going into the match. They are undefeated this season in games when it has mattered, winning the league and showing tremendous resolution in the championship. They have been around slightly longer than their opponents tomorrow and for about a third of the Armagh team this could be close to a last hurrah.

They have enjoyed an extra week's rest and while that won't have too much of a bearing at the start of the match, it will if it's a tight game in the final stages. The additional physical demands, manifest in having to play more games, tend to surface then.

If Tyrone are to win then they'll have to be six or seven points ahead with about 10 minutes left. I don't think they'll manage that and feel that Armagh's ability to sustain that high-intensity approach, greater physicality and more direct approach will provide the reward of a place in the All-Ireland final.