Power of Arsenal still needles Ferguson

There are sparks flying from the blade-grinder's wheels as they work overtime at Highbury and Old Trafford, at the behest of Arsène Wenger and Sir Alex Ferguson. Both the droll Frenchman and the mercurial Scot are highly proficient in the art of sabre-rattling, but this quest for psychological advantage over the other has begun extraordinarily early.

At times, their decidedly fragile relationship may resemble football's equivalent of a bickering contest between Graham Norton and Dale Winton; yet there is possibly no more seductive a prospect than when the two tribes of red shirts, and their respective leaders, are on a war footing.

The spectacle of Manchester United languishing – in relative terms at least – in a final placing of third last season, 10 points behind champions Arsenal, will have given a good proportion of the game's followers much pleasure, notwithstanding their begrudging admiration of Ferguson's achievements.

The Scot's belated reaction has been about as sensitive as a slap around the face. You imagine that it can only have increased the desire among United's principal rivals to eclipse his team. "There is no player in this country who wouldn't want to play for Manchester United," he declared. "[Patrick] Vieira would have loved to have come here last year, but they [Arsenal] wouldn't let him go. We are, without question, the highest-profile team in the world. We have the best discipline record in the country, we score the most goals and we entertain the most."

Well, methinks he doth protest just a little too much. Despite the near-£30m acquisition of Rio Ferdinand from Leeds – as much a gesture of United's capacity to pay a fee and wages way beyond the budget of Premiership teams as to reinforce his suspect rearguard – you suspect that the potential might of Wenger's men troubles Ferguson gravely.

Previously, United folk could talk mockingly about their club lending Arsenal and Blackburn the title, as they had just twice in nine years' Premiership history. Maybe Arsenal don't have the "profile", but the north London club possess the manager and the playing personnel capable of permanently damaging United's claim to English domination.

As Wenger explained, he would have also liked Ferdinand, but at £10m less than United paid, and it is difficult to dispute his estimation of a gifted performer but one who is nevertheless prone to the occasional costly aberration. What Wenger does have is Sol Campbell and, once the defender settled following the hostility which accompanied his move from Tottenham, he has been an imposing figure.

The unknown quantity in a reconstructed Gunners defence is Pascal Cygan, Wenger's £2.1m signing from Lille, although we would be foolish to doubt the Arsenal manager who has an intuitive ability to unearth raw talent in his homeland. Just as crucial has been the Frenchman's move for Gilberto Silva, Brazil's World Cup-winning midfielder, whose powerful presence should complement Vieira (who, miracle of miracles, is still on the Highbury salary list).

"I feel that this group is still very ambitious," said Wenger. "It's not like, 'We've won the Double so we can relax'. My players are all very hungry to carry on their success." But does achieving that distinction create extra pressure for his squad? "No," he responded. "If anything, it takes the pressure off because you've proved to yourself that you can do it. In the past people who have won a trophy once often go on to win it many times." And United's reaction to Arsenal's Double? "They will be challenging again but I do not expect a major backlash."

Even without Freddie Ljungberg and Robert Pires at different periods, the Gunners were admirably consistent, scoring in every game and defeated in only three. There is no reason to suppose that trend will not continue.

In contrast, United still appear vulnerable. Last season Ferguson's peers conspired to ensure that his team failed to win 14 of their 38 games. Ferguson is at a loss to explain why, other than to declare: "We were making mistakes all over the place, not just one or two players – all of them." It happens. Just as the Aidan O'Brien stable, where Ferguson's equine pride and joy, Rock of Gibraltar, is trained, has been recently afflicted by "the cough", so last season Manchester United's "yard" was the subject of injury, a loss of form in some quarters and what Roy Keane called "a lack of hunger".

Juan Veron was rarely the player he was vaunted to be, Beckham was "rested" around the turn of the year (Fergie's self-imposed winter break, of which he is a great advocate), Jaap Stam departed to be replaced by a man of great pedigree but initial deficiency, Laurent Blanc. Fabien Barthez, too, contributed to early defeats with some eccentric goalkeeping. Even Paul Scholes, deployed out of his favoured position at times, was affected.

In that context Ruud van Nistelrooy – a contender for Uefa's Most Valuable Player award for his 13 Champions' League goals – was a godsend as he paid handsome testament to his manager's judgement and patience, with 36 in total, four more than Arsenal's Thierry Henry. That duel will again be vital to the realisation of both sides' ambitions.

Ferguson has responded to United's lack of trophies with several coaching changes, most significantly the appointment of the former Portugal youth coach Carlos Quieroz, who has become his assistant. But much will depend at the start on the condition in which Ferguson finds his England (and Argentinian) men after their World Cup exertions. Keane, of course, only suffered jet-lag, but it remains to be seen whether his confrontation with the forces of McCarthyism will affect his club performances.

Unusually, Ferguson's team will not be involved in today's uninspiringly retitled Community Shield. Instead Arsenal will face an early examination by a Liverpool convinced they can make a potent challenge for the title. Much will depend on whether Gérard Houllier's £10m purchase, the Senegal forward El Hadji Diouf from Lens, can forge a profitable relationship with Michael Owen and Emile Heskey. But it is difficult to summon real confidence about these aspirants while doubts persist about the fitness of Steven Gerrard and, indeed, Owen himself.

It is to be hoped they do challenge, because there is no evidence of a threat elsewhere. Champions' League and Uefa Cup qualification may be the realistic ambition of Chelsea – who, with debts of £97m, should perhaps introduce Bob Marley's "Exodus" as their theme tune – Ferdinand-less Leeds, and resurgent Newcastle. Whatever else, Bobby Robson should claim the England Management Old Boys title, the promotion of Kevin Keegan's Manchester City and Leeds' appointment of Terry Venables meaning that there are no fewer than five former occupants in competition.

Current England coach Steve McClaren's Middlesbrough are Wenger's "dark horses" and, having invested over £20m this summer on Massimo Maccarone, Juninho (again) as well as bringing in Geremi on loan, they will be many other judges' choice. If McClaren can blend them correctly, Boro could join the overachievers in a list which also contains Blackburn Rovers, Everton and Bolton. But North-east optimism is tempered more than somewhat by the possible fate of Sunderland and manager Peter Reid, who already have that doomed look about them. And they are only playing pre-season friendlies.

But it has to be Double-winning Arsenal to retain their Premiership trophy, unless of course Ferguson can galvanise his men to reproduce that strutting self-belief on a consistent basis. Liverpool, Newcastle and perhaps Leeds should at least ensure that the championship is a competition, not a duel.

Community Shield, Cardiff, today (2pm): Probable line-ups: Arsenal: Seaman; Lauren, Keown, Campbell, Cole, Wiltord, Vieira, Parlour, Edu, Bergkamp, Henry. Liverpool: Dudek; Babbel, Hyypia, Henchoz, Carragher, Murphy, Gerrard, Hamann, Diouf, Owen, Heskey.