Premier League - Manchester United are champions

Eurosport - Sun, 17 May 10:18:00 2009

Manchester United were crowned Premier League champions after a goalless draw with Arsenal at Old Trafford.

Manchester United champions, Gary Neville, FOOTBALL - 0

United only needed a point to secure a third consecutive Premier League title and that is what they achieved with a cautious performance.

It was the 11th title of Sir Alex Ferguson's reign and means United match Liverpool's record haul of 18 in the top-flight.

United came into the match on the back on a seven-match winning streak in the league and had an opening inside a minute when Cristiano Ronaldo burst away down the right flank but opted to cross rather than shoot.

That summed up an understated opening 45 minutes from the hosts whose best chance was spurned by Wayne Rooney. He was picked out by Michael Carrick but diverted his header past the near post.

Ryan Giggs also lifted a free-kick in a good position over the crossbar and was equally wayward when the ball sat up for him nicely after a counter attack initiated by Rooney.

Arsenal had won on three of their previous 12 Premier League visits to Old Trafford, including in 2002 when Sylvain Wiltord's goal clinched a 1-0 win and the title, and they had the best chance of the opening period.

A super diagonal pass from Cesc Fabregas found Robin van Persie unmarked eight yards out but he put his header over the top.

Samir Nasri, who scored twice in the Premier League match at the Emirates between these sides earlier in the season, also should have done better when he was picked out by Andrei Arshavin 18 yards out. His shot was going wide and van Persie was unable to divert it on target.

Arsenal headed to Old Trafford on the back of a recent 4-1 aggregate drubbing against United in the Champions League but continued to play the better football after the break and Arshavin teed up Kieran Gibbs whose shot from 20 yards nestled in the side netting.

United failed to muster a single shot on target in the entire match but their best chance came when Darren Fletcher's cross from the right found Carlos Tevez who eluded Kolo Toure but Lukasz Fabianski raced off his line to make a sliding challenge with his feet which was enough to put the Argentine off.

Had Tevez gone down, referee Mike Dean would have had a big decision to make.

Tevez left the fray shortly after, waving goodbye to the Stretford End possibly for the last time, and his replacement Park Ji-Sung put the ball in the net shortly after coming on only for Ronaldo to be penalised by an errant offside flag.

Ronaldo almost gave the home fans the goal they were craving but a superbly struck free-kick from the left just missed the top corner with Fabianski looking on helplessly.

But then United had to endure a nervy ending as the Gunners looked to spoil the party.

The best move of the match saw Alex Song burst through and tee up Fabregas who aimed for the near post from the angle and saw his shot brush Van der Sar's fingers and hit the outside of the post.

Van Persie then warmed Van der Sar's palms with a shot on goal from the right before in injury-time the Dutchman's whipped effort flicked off Carrick and went for a corner.

However United were not to be denied and for the first time in 10 years, when they beat Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford, were confirmed as champions on their home turf.

United took the acclaim of the Stretford End at the final whistle and now face Hull next Sunday before they bid to retain the Champions League against Barcelona.

Lee Walker / Eurosport

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  1. Captain Rafa...who needs the tears from his fans...to­ sail his Liverpool ship 2 reach the Premiership...Rafa­ is no doubt a great leader...always clear the big­ waves(2 wins vs Manutd)...but they always sink in clear­ water(draw vs stoke and other teams)...maybe he needs­ more times to become successful...like 10 more­ years...lol

    From seandadinhobomb, on Sun 17 May 10:25AM

  2. Were you watching merseyside!!! Theres always next­ year. We were the better team? Titles show who were the­ best team over the season and yet again UNITED are­ crowned the CHAMPIONS. Will you be watching on­ Wednesday 27th May, merseyside, to see UNITED get our­ fourth star. Next year we will be ahead of the pool in­ league titles and level in European ones. UNITED­ FOREVER.

    From rossbolton, on Sun 17 May 10:22AM

  3. mu are arrogants..that's a fact...

    From angus.young70, on Sun 17 May 10:22AM

  4. Wan Firdaus?: Even Federico Macheda has more premier­ league titles than Liverpool PMSL. GGMU!

    Something­ which will keepme ammused this afty will be West Brom v­ Liverpool; Wondering whether West Brom can put on a­ dogged enough display to hold or even beat Liverpool,­ and Chelsea win theirs v Blackburn... That will be­ phase one of how to rile the scousers yet more this­ season PMSL.

    From Colonel K, on Sun 17 May 10:20AM

  5. dnt wori liverpool
    ders alwaiz a million years 4 u 2­ actually pose a threat 2 da title
    red devil 4 lyf

    From Shakz, on Sun 17 May 10:14AM

  6. Yeah u Liverpool beat Manutd twice this season...but u­ can't even beat Stoke and other tesms.Cry me a god­ damn yellow river u cry babies.

    From seandadinhobomb, on Sun 17 May 9:58AM

  7. i am not suprised man utd take the title again after­ all they are by far the best team ever­ !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!­ !!!!

    From kellystyz, on Sun 17 May 9:56AM

  8. Wow 1024 comments. This must be a new record. MU is my­ favourite English team...

    From Milosh, on Sun 17 May 9:55AM

  9. MAN UTD THE BEST
    ALL OTHERS ARE S`HIT
    DONT DISS MAN UTD­ FOR YOUR TEAMS POOR PERFORMANCE!!!!!!!!!

    From kellystyz, on Sun 17 May 9:53AM

  10. MAN UTD THE BEST CHAMPS EVER FACT ENDOF

    From kellystyz, on Sun 17 May 9:52AM

  11. man utd are the BEST only the cl to win and that makes­ 4 cups liverscum o arse o chelsk maybe 1 what can you­ say who is the best team now the facts speak for them­ selfs so for all you man utd haters eat s`hit your a­ bunch of @#$% .come on you true reds­ !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    From kellystyz, on Sun 17 May 9:45AM

  12. ALL HAIL MAN UNITED.....

    and its not money tat wins­ them matches.. heres a list of money spend on players­ since 1992 to til date..
    Chelsea ­ £538,690,000 - 2 EPL Champinship, 3 FA Cup (­ with 6 managers)
    Liverpool £380,115,000 ­ - 0 EPL Champinship, 1 UEFA CL , 1 FA Cup ( with 5­ managrers)
    Manchester United £391,150,000 - 11­ EPL Champinship, 2 UEFA CL , 4 FA Cup + contless other­ trophies.. ( with SAF alone)....

    soooo...there's­ only one conclusion why MAN UTD is the greatest...We­ have the best Manager......
    so suck it up­ y'all.....

    From george s, on Sun 17 May 9:45AM

  13. Because Liverpool won the epl 18 times before and UTD­ must have cheated to win it 18 times also... does that­ mean that Liverpool cheated to get their 18 titles­ also...?!?!? (UTD Fan)

    From Stina, on Sun 17 May 9:42AM

  14. It really irrates me that most of the other fans who­ dont support UTD on here can't accept they are not­ good enough to win the EPL. How exactly have UTD­ cheated again? This season we have been awarded 4 red­ cards, (2 to vidic) and 57 yellow cards (Ronaldo and­ Rooney) got the most. Does that sound like refs are­ biased towards UTD?

    From Stina, on Sun 17 May 9:37AM

  15. well done manchester . and now its up to the rest to­ get better

    From janet463, on Sun 17 May 9:29AM
  16. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    How predictable,united have been buying the title for­­­ years and ruining the epl,it is turning into the­­ crappy­ spl,thank god for roman buying chelsea and now­­ the­ arabs buying city,hopefully they will give the­­ salford­ red sox some serious competition in the next­­ few years

    From dorisdazzler, on Sun 17 May 9:24AM

  17. Man U are cheats period. no more no less.

    From kenneth, on Sun 17 May 9:19AM
  18. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    christophersaliba - you say "we are the best"­ what do you mean by we ? do you own man utd ? do they­ pay your wages ? you stupid fu$$ing uneducated fool

    From sirstevejones14, on Sun 17 May 9:16AM

  19. the epl is becoming worse than the spl, at least they­ have 2 teams who win anything, the epl is a one team­ league now, the rest are just pub outfits

    From sirstevejones14, on Sun 17 May 9:11AM

  20. united are the best and always will be the best next­ year well win it for a fourth time glory glory man­ united

    From harkanthony, on Sun 17 May 9:09AM
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