Manchester United EPL Champions
Chelsea draw at Arsenal while Roy Keane's Sunderland Take Title
May 6, 2007
Premiership:
Champions! Manchester United have won the title with two games remaining. It means that their trip to Stamford Bridge on Wednesday evening is just another game to be completed before the end of the season but how they would like to rub Chelsea’s noses in it and come away with a win.
With Chelsea unable to secure victory over Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium, United have an unassailable seven point lead at the top of the table.
Chelsea went into the game without Didier Drogba who was injured and they missed his creativity and ability to hold up the ball. Through a scrappy opening half, neither side created many chances, Petr Cech making a comfortable save after thirty five minutes being his first moment for concern.
Events just before half-time changed the game and made Chelsea’s task almost impossible. With two minutes remaining a foul by Khalid Boularouz on Julio Baptista saw Arsenal awarded a penalty and the Chelsea defender sent off. Gilberto Silva scored to give Arsenal the lead.
Chelsea put up a determined rearguard performance in the second half and managed to equalise after seventy minutes when Michael Essien scored with a header from a Shaun Wright-Phillips cross.
For the final twenty minutes Chelsea searched for an unlikely winner but were unable to take any of the chances created and Arsenal goalkeeper, Jens Lehmann, was forced to make a couple of important saves. The last action saw Arsenal’s Emmanuel Eboue put a shot against the bar.
Chelsea relinquished the title they have held for the past two seasons and will have to raise themselves for the game against United in mid-week and the FA Cup Final on Saturday week.
Manchester United will be delighted that they have won the Premiership title for the first time in four seasons without the drama of a crucial fixture at Chelsea.
This is United’s ninth Premiership title, a record, and says much for the ability and endurance of their manager Sit Alex Ferguson who has been at the club for over twenty years. His enthusiasm is as great now as it was in his earlier days and the success he has had at Old Trafford and previously in the Scottish League with Aberdeen identifies him as one of the greatest managers of all time.
Ferguson set aside his disappointment of the mid-week defeat to AC Milan in the Champions League to ensure United’s victory over Manchester City in order that that there were no slip ups in the Premiership title race and his reward came today.
While their may be speculation about his retirement, his one major goal is to bring another Champions League title to Old Trafford and going into next season’s competition as Champions will encourage him, so there’ll be no talk of stepping down from Sir Alex, he has more work to do.
