PORTLAND, Ore. – Attorneys for the Federal Trade Commission and Kroger and Albertsons ended their three-week court battle the same way they started: diametrically opposed over whether the two grocery rivals should be permitted to join forces.

A decision on the proposed merger between Kroger and Albertsons could be coming soon as the Federal Trade Commission hopes to get an injunction.

During opening statements of Washington state’s case against the Kroger, Albertsons merger Monday, attorneys representing the state’s attorney general’s office made the argument that if the $24.6 billion merger deal goes through, it could negatively alter the grocery landscape in Washington State.