Ferguson confident of keeping upper hand over Arsenal

Something that Arsène Wenger said 12 months ago, after Arsenal had clinched the Premiership title at Old Trafford, may soon come back to haunt him. There had been a shift in the balance of power, claimed Wenger, yet victory for Manchester United over Charlton today would ensure that the champions go into tomorrow's visit by Leeds needing to win to take the race to the final day.

Sir Alex Ferguson remembers Wenger's statement – one suspects it was seared into his psyche as if by a branding iron – as well as the Frenchman's assertion that his team were capable of going through the campaign undefeated. The United manager's reaction to being reminded of those remarks yesterday intimated that he viewed them as premature triumphalism.

"How do you measure which is the top club? Do you judge over one season or 10?" asked Ferguson rhetorically. "No one's got a divine right to win the league. This isn't East Germany, where Dynamo Berlin won it almost every season. It's a fantastically hard division. I was very disappointed when we came third last year, but it was the first time we had been out of the top two in a decade."

Ferguson was equally wary of talking as if United's eighth title in 11 years was a formality. He did admit, however, that finishing first would be the "greatest achievement" for the team in which Giggs, Beckham, Scholes, Keane and the Nevilles have formed a durable backbone, because the competition is "tighter" than ever.

Wenger may seek to portray his rival as counting his chickens when he addresses his troops, sans Patrick Vieira, before they take on Leeds at Highbury. Despite the way Arsenal let slip a 2-0 advantage at Bolton, he was adamant yesterday that the fight goes on.

"There can be a confusion in their minds between blowing a lead and blowing the League," Wenger said. "It's down to us to win our last two. I have complete confidence that their mental strength will show through again. It's a sign of champions that they still believe they can win when no one else does."

The problem for Arsenal is that United have the latter attribute in spades. In contrast, Wenger's men have dropped 10 points since 29 January by failing to prevail in games in which they had led. No wonder Ferguson oozed confidence, but not complacency, repeatedly cautioning that "you can never tell in football.

"I've really enjoyed this season," he purred. "I made the right decision to stay on. I feel younger and fresher than a year ago." How long would he stay in charge? "If we lose this league now, maybe two weeks."

The form of both contenders, not to mention Arsenal's injury list, makes another reversal in fortunes improbable. Arsenal's defeat at Blackburn was a "turning point" according to Ferguson; and United's recent draw at Highbury produced "plenty of evidence that we were the better team".

As much as the Gunners' loss of an eight-point lead, though, the story of the second half of the season has been of United rehabilitating autumn casualties and rattling up wins like they did to overtake Newcastle in 1996. Last month's 6-1 rout of the Tyneside club's current, exalted crop surprised even Ferguson. "Every player was flying. You get that maybe once every three years."

The trick now will be for them to maintain the momentum over the next nine days and add to their options during the summer before another tilt at the European Cup, in which Ferguson argued they have been "just fractions" off going all the way. "We're short in the squad," he said. "We don't have the same numbers as Liverpool or Arsenal and we're losing Laurent Blanc and David May because their contracts are up."

Ominously for the rest of the Premiership, Ferguson is convinced United will keep improving. Before Christmas he questioned whether certain players had been at the club too long. Their response proved they were still hungry, though he dismissed as "myth" the idea that he ruled by fear. "I'm just a pussycat now," he smiled.

Jesting aside, the future looks bright indeed. The defence is young, especially compared with many continental sides; the FA Youth Cup has been recaptured; and, crucially, his overhaul of the coaching has been successful.

None of which will seem much consolation, of course, if Arsenal nose past United at the post. Ferguson has great respect for Charlton and their manager, Alan Curbishley, calling them "a perfect example for any promoted club". He admires Peter Reid, too, from their time as cross-town rivals in Manchester, and would be delighted if Leeds' interim manager could conjure a helpful result.

But the focus is on what Manchester United do rather than the efforts of others. Behind their manager's relaxed demeanour, it is sharper than ever.