The FA Cup final between Arsenal and Manchester United at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium will be as much a trial of mental strength as physical and footballing ability.
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I go for Man Utd but Arsenal's attacking riches can never be dismissed
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And this is why, without being prepared to risk the mortgage on it, I would tip United to win if I was pressured into a prediction for Saturday's game.
The tactics will be very similar to those Manchester United employed in last season's 1-0 semi-final win against Arsenal at Villa Park and when they ended The Gunners' 49-match unbeaten run at Old Trafford earlier this term.
It was physical, high-tempo football in which Manchester United got their foot in, hustled Arsenal, and never let them settle for a minute.
Arsenal were pressured into mistakes and became unsettled, opening the door for United to win.
Sir Alex Ferguson knows this is a tactic that works and will use it again - and no-one can blame him.
If the opposition have a flaw, chip away at it until it becomes a crack.
What Arsenal have to do, and you can be sure manager Arsene Wenger will be telling them this, is be aware this is coming and brace themselves to withstand it.
If they can cope with this and survive the first 30 minutes, then Arsenal will be confident that their wonderful attacking qualities will produce a chance.
I have to say I think Arsenal have got better at coping with the physical pressures, but United will apply it expertly and this is an FA Cup final, so it will be intense anyway.
There will be several key areas on the field on Saturday - none more so than at either end and the two goalkeepers.
Punters and pundits alike have identified the goalkeepers as problem positions for both Arsenal and United, unusual given the success both clubs have enjoyed.
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Wenger will have warned Arsenal they will have to withstand physical pressure from Man Utd
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They have had the luxury of unbelieveable keepers in David Seaman and Peter Schmeichel, but have had problems replacing them and it is very difficult to buy quality in that position these days.
Jens Lehmann at Arsenal and Tim Howard at United - as well as Howard's rival Roy Carroll - have all been dropped because of lack of form this season.
There will a tremendous responsibility on the keepers on Saturday, because one mistake can make all the difference.
We saw it when Emile Heskey scored Birmingham's 90th-minute winner against Arsenal on Sunday - there appeared to be a breakdown in communications between Lehmann and Philippe Senderos and that was all it took.
The pressure will not just be on the goalkeepers, it will be on the whole back four, which is why I suspect Sol Campbell still has a chance of playing in Cardiff.
If Arsenal are going to win, they must cope with the pressure United will exert on them, and also make sure they are sound at the back.
If they can do that, then Arsenal have a real chance because they are the finest attacking team I have seen in this country, and I include my old Liverpool team - who had special players such as Kenny Dalglish and Ian Rush - in that.
It is a blow for Arsenal that Thierry Henry is out, but Dennis Bergkamp was magnificent in the 7-0 win against Everton and this could be his stage.
Youngster Robin van Persie is also gifted, along with the likes of Robert Pires and Jose Antonio Reyes.
Even without Henry, you see movement like you would never believe from this Arsenal side - and there are times when it is nigh on impossible to combat.
So while I tip United at a push, a side with Arsenal's attacking riches can never be dismissed.
United have key attacking figures of their own though, in Paul Scholes and Wayne Rooney.
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There is no good news for the losers and the winners salvage a season
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Scholes is world-class - no question.
He is wonderful at arriving late and unnoticed in the box, and is outstanding in the air for a guy who is not exactly a giant.
The header he scored in the semi-final against Newcastle was the perfect illustration of why he is the master of his art.
As for Rooney, I think he has had a fantastic season, irrespective of people having a go at his attitude to officials, or anything else they care to criticise him for.
This is a boy who was the subject of a £27m transfer at the age of 18, and he has thrived on it. This takes something special and he is a very special talent.
You almost anticipate something special from Rooney on the big occasion, and United may feel this is the youngster's perfect stage on Saturday.
In an echo of United's tactics, Arsenal need to get into him quickly and play on any frustrations he may feel.
Make no mistake, this is a massive game for both clubs.
There is history between them and this is their last opportunity for silverware in a competition that is still huge. Don't let anyone tell you any different.
The stakes are enormous - there is no good news for the losers and the winners salvage a season.
It will be desperately tight, which is why I go for Manchester United to win, but it is not a prediction I make with huge confidence that it will be proved correct.
MMIX
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