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United secure 10th crown
United secure 10th crown
It was Manchester United's day as they ran out 2-0 winners over Wigan Athletic to clinch their 10th Premier League title.
The Red Devils went into the match knowing that all they needed to do was win and they would be crowned champions, no matter what the result at Stamford Bridge where Chelsea were taking on Bolton Wanderers.
United won the game thanks to goals from Cristiano Ronaldo
(penalty) and Ryan Giggs, where as Chelsea were held to a 1-1 draw. Second half substitute Andrei Shevchenko had put the Blues in front but they were pegged back late on by Kevin Davies.
The Red Devils went into the match knowing that all they needed to do was win and they would be crowned champions, no matter what the result at Stamford Bridge where Chelsea were taking on Bolton Wanderers.
United won the game thanks to goals from Cristiano Ronaldo
(penalty) and Ryan Giggs, where as Chelsea were held to a 1-1 draw. Second half substitute Andrei Shevchenko had put the Blues in front but they were pegged back late on by Kevin Davies.
Match Report
It was a fairly tentative start for the champions at the JJB Stadium as they faced a Wigan side looking determined to spoil the party. It was packed house at Wigan and the fans got well and truely behind their side as they had the better of the opening 20 minutes, with Welshman Jason Koumas pulling the strings in midfield and creating the first real chance of the game as his corner was met by Heskey and Boyce in the area, with the latters effort ending up wide of the post.
The first moment of controversey came a few minutes later as it was again Koumas involved. His drive from just outside the area quite clearly struck Rio Ferdinand on the arm but Steve Bennett only signalled for a corner and not a penalty.
Manchester United started to come alive with a half chance for Tevez before a Ronaldo free kick was well saved by the inform Chris Kirkland. But it wasn't long until the man in black was again involved and this time he did point towards the penalty spot.
United broke down the left and as the ball was played into Wayne Rooney, he appeared to be tripped by Boyce in the centre of the area and although it was dubious with the Wigan man getting a lot on the ball, the penalty was given and Cristiano Ronaldo made no mistake as he sent Kirkland the wrong way.
Steve Bennett appeared to be determined to have his name across the back pages as he was again the centre of contreversey. Paul Scholes had already been booked for a bad challenge on Wilson Palacios but when the United midfielder clearly fouled the same man again, the referee opted to lecture Scholes as opposed to sending him off.
After a long half time break due to stoppages at Stamford Bridge and the Premier League's insistence to start the games at the same time, Wigan got the game under way but it was the visitors who set the pace in this half.
Just 3 minutes into the half and yet another Ronaldo free-kick tested Kirkland just under his bar, the Wigan stopper saving well. United continued to come forward with Wayne Rooney and Tevez both getting more involved in the right areas and that was almost telling as Paul Scholes went through to be fouled by Titus Bramble, the referee again opting for the more controversial option by not pointing to the spot.
As United continued to threaten with efforts from Tevez and Rooney, they received some bad news from London as Shevchenko had put Chelsea 1 goal up.
But with 10 minutes remaining, the result at Chelsea was going to matter for nothing as super sub Ryan Giggs stepped up to make it 2-0 and start the celebrations. The Welshman latched onto Wayne Rooney's superb through ball and despite appeals for offside, he cooly slotted home past Kirkland to make even Alex Ferguson smile.
Despite a few half chances for Marlon King and Emile Heskey, United's defence stayed strong as it has all season, seeing them secure their 10th Premier league title under Sir Alex and how fitting it was that Ryan Giggs, who today equalled Sir Bobby Charlton's appearence record, should be the man to settle it. Most would agree that Manchester United fully deserved their victory and title triumph.
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