Arsenal's title hopes were effectively ended at Highbury and that it was Manchester United who again inflicted the blow after a titanic tussle will only have heightened Arsene Wenger's pain.

Even though Mikael Silvestre was sent off with 20 minutes left of a tempestuous encounter that was fuelled by bad blood, Sir Alex Ferguson's side still held on for a notable victory.

Whether they can catch leaders Chelsea, who still hold an eight-point advantage with a game in hand, remains to be seen. This, after all, may simply have been the silver medal play-off tie.

But as Jose Mourinho's young pretenders sat watching in their hotel, the two old heavyweights slugged it out at Highbury.

And when a classic encounter was over, after six goals, one red card, five bookings and numerous flashpoints, it was Wenger's side who were left nursing their wounds.

Having been 11 points ahead of United back in October when they arrived at Old Trafford only to lose their 49-game unbeaten league run behind them, they are now going backwards fast.

Despite going behind twice at Highbury as Patrick Vieira and Dennis Bergkamp scored, United still equalised through Ryan Giggs and then Cristiano Ronaldo.

With Ronaldo putting United ahead, not even Silvestre's red card was enough to deflect them from their path, with John O'Shea rounding off victory with a chip after a breathless encounter.

As if tensions had not been high enough already, Roy Keane and Vieira had to be pulled apart after becoming embroiled in an angry tunnel row even before walking out onto the pitch.

Referee Graham Poll quickly intervened between the two captains, who did not even shake hands in the centre-circle. The fuse was lit.

It was non-stop stuff thereafter, with Ashley Cole diving in search of a penalty, but there was some high-class football played too.

With just eight minutes gone, Vieira put aside his tussle with Keane to head Arsenal into the lead as he head in Thierry Henry's corner.

The bookings soon began, but when United did concentrate on attacking, they were mesmerising to watch and equalised with 18 minutes gone after a superb one-touch move.

Paul Scholes' driven low cross was laid back by Wayne Rooney into the path of Giggs, whose first-time half-volley looked to be deflected past Manuel Almunia.

Arsenal were rocked and their mood did not improve when Pires' strong claims for a penalty were turned down.

All the confrontations were interrupting the flow of the game as the Frenchman was booked for retaliating against Darren Fletcher after the young Scot had led with his forearm in a raw tackle.

Rooney could not resist getting involved and Poll issued the first of many verbal warnings to the headstrong England striker.

Back to the action, Arsenal seized back the lead nine minutes before the break as United were caught cold at a free-kick.

Vieira fired the ball forward, Mathieu Flamini ducked and left the ball to Henry, who controlled it, turned and rolled a measured pass into the path of Bergkamp, who fired the ball through Roy Carroll's legs.

Arsenal were indebted to an excellent save by Almunia from Rooney, which was matched by Carroll as he denied Bergkamp.

But the game was still teetering on the brink of a major off-the-ball eruption and it nearly came when, almost inevitably, Rooney was booked for handball just before the break.

He came within a whisker of being sent off for dissent as he repeatedly swore at Poll, who wisely opted for a final warning, but his patience was further tested when Rooney then caught Vieira.

While Sven-Goran Eriksson substituted Rooney before half-time in England's friendly in Spain last November after a similarly unrestrained, aggressive display, Ferguson kept faith in his striker.

That faith was repaid with his involvement in the build-up to United's second equaliser 10 minutes after the restart.

Rooney played the ball to Giggs, who set up Ronaldo as he cut inside from the left flank and buried his shot underneath Almunia.

If his finish was accomplished, the Portuguese winger's celebrations were rather ill-advised as he put his finger to his lips and pointedly ran in front of the Arsenal fans.

United's tails were nevertheless up and, even though Rooney then struck the bar with a superb free-kick, they still seized back the lead with their second goal inside just three minutes.

Keeper Almunia did a passable impression of Jens Lehmann as he rashly came haring off his line to take on Giggs near the goal-line and was beaten to the ball by the Welshman.

With Almunia out of position, Giggs' cross landed invitingly for Ronaldo, who made no mistake from just two yards out, although this time his celebrations did earn him a booking.

Controversy was never far away, however, and United were reduced to 10 men as Silvestre was dismissed for head-butting Ljungberg as they argued over a clash with Bergkamp.

Arsenal were unable to make that advantage pay and, when O'Shea produced a sublime chip to catch Almunia off his line, they were left with only regrets.

The final whistle was at least marked with a handshake on the touchline. But while Ferguson lives to fight on, Wenger's title chase is now all but over.

Teams

Arsenal Almunia, Lauren (Fabregas 83), Campbell (Hoyte 79), Cygan, Cole, Ljungberg, Flamini (Reyes 70), Vieira, Pires, Bergkamp, Henry.

Subs Not Used: Lehmann, Van Persie.

Booked: Pires, Reyes.

Goals: Vieira 8, Bergkamp 36.

Man Utd Carroll, Gary Neville, Ferdinand, Silvestre, Heinze, Fletcher (O'Shea 61), Keane, Scholes, Ronaldo (Brown 70), Rooney, Giggs (Saha 77).

Subs Not Used: Howard, Phil Neville.

Sent Off: Silvestre (69).

Booked: Heinze, Giggs, Rooney, Ronaldo.

Goals: Giggs 18, Ronaldo 54, 58, O'Shea 89.

Att: 38,164

Ref: G Poll (Hertfordshire).