Sir Alex Ferguson says the title race is so close that it may be the first to be decided by goal difference since the Premier League’s inception.

That, Ferguson believes, would be to the advantage of his Manchester United side, whose 5-1 trouncing of Newcastle United on Saturday gives them a goal difference of plus-40, four better than the leaders Arsenal and 19 superior to Chelsea.

“We’re scoring a lot of goals and, you never know, it could be an issue. We just want to make sure that, if it goes to goal difference, our own tally is good,” said the United manager. “I’ve always said that having a superior goal difference is worth an extra point. It could be vital this season with the championship being so close.”

The last time two clubs finished on level points at the top of the league was in 1989, when Mickey Thomas’s last-minute goal at Anfield enabled Arsenal to pip Liverpool for the title. Before then it had happened on only four occasions in history - when United won the league in 1965, Arsenal in 1953, Portsmouth in 1950 and Huddersfield in 1924.

United are three points behind Arsenal with 11 games to go but have still to play them at Old Trafford, and both teams have to visit Chelsea as well.

The champions go to Fulham and Derby County, the bottom two clubs, in their next two games and Ferguson hopes it will be a chance not only to pick up six points but to enhance the team’s goals-for column as well. Between them Derby and Fulham have conceded 102 goals and Ferguson is encouraged by the form of Cristiano Ronaldo, whose two goals against Newcastle took him to 29 goals this season, Wayne Rooney, who also scored twice to move to 13, and Carlos Tevez on 15.

“Louis Saha coming back is another big bonus,” said Ferguson, mindful that Eduardo da Silva’s injury has left Arsenal short in attack at a time when the London club are already missing Robin van Persie. “Louis is different from everybody else we have. He gives us strength and penetration.”