A season promising so much could yet leave the Gunners empty-handed,writes Jim White

It looked easy the way the big screen at Highbury saw it. For a couple of minutes before the kick-off, it was filled with what the announcer said was "the pick of moments from Arsenal and Manchester United games own the years". A selective pick as it happens, of Sylvain Wiltord scoring at Old Trafford to seize the title in May, of Fabien Barthez's embarrassment here last season, of the banner unfurled in the home of their rivals reading: "AFC: Old Trafford, Champions Section". The way it presented history, United's role is simply to make up the numbers, to supply the backcloth to Arsenal victory. Arsene Wenger might as well pick the bloke in the dinosaur's outfit who waddles round the touchline trying to wake up the local fans; Arsenal always win out in the end.

It was a nice try. Whether such selective memory settled the nerves in the home stands was unlikely. Necks here have grown stiff these past three weeks what with all the looking over the shoulder that has been going on. United have smoothed into top gear with the sort of precision timing that many assumed was the preserve of the Arsenal machine, a perfectly calibrated acceleration more likely to be the work of the professorial European engineer rather than the chippy Glaswegian tool-maker.

Not that the Arsenal manager can take all the responsibility for his team's spluttering performance as the season reaches its conclusion. Wenger's players misread the warning messages and thought that the vehicle rapidly coming into focus in the rear view mirror was much further away than it seemed. But then United's sudden turn of pace - perhaps driven by the realisation that in European terms they will win nothing more than the best supporting turn - has taken everyone by surprise. An 11-point deficit over-turned in a month, a goal overdraft of 10 all but made up in two games, alarming form for Arsenal followers.

Interestingly, despite Keane's clattering work, the usual individual collisions when these two meet weren't in evidence. It was Nicky Butt rather than Keane, for instance, who was tracking Patrick Viera. That is for the few minutes the Arsenal captain was on. Clearly unfit, his knee wrapped in more bandaging than is available in the whole of Baghdad, he was gone within the half hour.

All over the pitch, normal service was interrupted. Sol Campbell, for instance, was delegated to deal with Ruud van Nistelrooy. Thus were we deprived of one of the more engaging little sideshows of Arsenal/United clashes: Van Nistelrooy against Martin Keown. The Arsenal centre-back keeps so close to his Dutch rival whenever they meet, that Sky ought to advertise a two-for-one offer on the player cam. It is a dangerous strategy: Van Nistelrooy has been known to plummet turf-wards at the merest proximity of breath to his collar. But then to leave him alone is to invite disaster.

As Campbell was quick to find out. In the 15th minute, Van Nistelrooy accepted Campbell's generosity to play him onside and nipped in to clip a delicious Paul Scholes ball on to the roof of the net. If it was a warning, Campbell didn't heed it.

Five minutes later, Van Nistelrooy brushed through his huge physical presence as if it wasn't there and bore down on goal. From the moment their big Englishman was discomforted, every Gunner in the stadium knew what would happen. It was here that Arsenal players needed to step up a gear. And how they did.

First the doubly unexpected combination of Ashley Cole and his right foot, with a handy deflection off Thierry Henry's calf, got Arsenal back into it, with Barthez's legs . Then Henry scored a beauty. But with the title at stake, no one stops. It was a lead that lasted all of a minute before Ryan Giggs equalised from a cross by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who retained his place on the right flank with David Beckham said to be suffering a hamstring problem.

It was all astonishing, superstructure-threatening stuff. And ultimately indecisive, even though Campbell was sent off seven minutes from time, handing a late numerical advantage to United, after thrusting a backward elbow into Solskjaer's face.

The central defender received a straight red card from the referee Mark Halsey and its repercussions could yet haunt his team's dream of a second successive Double. Campbell will now be banned from playing in the next month's FA Cup final.

Back to the Premiership title. Anyone who really thought the contest would be all over after last night has been watching too many presentations on the Highbury big screen.