LONDON – Manchester United clinched their 17th English championship yesterday by beating Wigan 2-0 in a nail-biting finale to the most thrilling Premier League title battle in years.
Pushed to the wire by Chelsea, United claimed the 10th title of Sir Alex Ferguson’s reign by two points after their rivals were held to a 1-1 draw by Bolton in their final match. Cristiano Ronaldo, with a first-half penalty, and Ryan Giggs, on the day he equalled Sir Bobby Charlton’s record of Manchester United appearances, were United’s match winners.The Red Devils had been given a huge pre-match boost by the return of Wayne Rooney to the starting line-up and the England forward was to have a decisive influence on the match.After winning the first-half penalty that enabled Ronaldo to claim his 41st goal of the season, Rooney played in Giggs for the 80th-minute strike that ended any doubt about the destiny of the title.Even if they had beaten Bolton, Chelsea would have lost out to United on goal difference.As it turned out, Kevin Davies’s last-minute equaliser earned Bolton a draw at Stamford Bridge after Andriy Shevchenko had kept their hopes alive with his first goal since December 26.At the other end of the table, Danny Murphy’s 75th-minute strike gave Fulham a 1-0 win at FA Cup finalists Portsmouth that secured the west London club’s top-flight status.Fulham’s survival came at the expense of Birmingham and Reading, who will both be playing Championship football next season, along with already-relegated Derby.Nampa-AFPCristiano Ronaldo, with a first-half penalty, and Ryan Giggs, on the day he equalled Sir Bobby Charlton’s record of Manchester United appearances, were United’s match winners.The Red Devils had been given a huge pre-match boost by the return of Wayne Rooney to the starting line-up and the England forward was to have a decisive influence on the match.After winning the first-half penalty that enabled Ronaldo to claim his 41st goal of the season, Rooney played in Giggs for the 80th-minute strike that ended any doubt about the destiny of the title.Even if they had beaten Bolton, Chelsea would have lost out to United on goal difference.As it turned out, Kevin Davies’s last-minute equaliser earned Bolton a draw at Stamford Bridge after Andriy Shevchenko had kept their hopes alive with his first goal since December 26.At the other end of the table, Danny Murphy’s 75th-minute strike gave Fulham a 1-0 win at FA Cup finalists Portsmouth that secured the west London club’s top-flight status.Fulham’s survival came at the expense of Birmingham and Reading, who will both be playing Championship football next season, along with already-relegated Derby.Nampa-AFP
