Manchester United have equalled Liverpool’s record of 18 English titles, a 0-0 home draw with Arsenal enough for United to claim the Premier League crown for the third year in succession.
While not as one-sided as their UEFA Champions League semi-final success against the Gunners, United held out comfortably to gain the point they needed to move seven clear of Liverpool, who have only two games left including Sunday’s trip to West Bromwich Albion. Having already won the FIFA Club World Cup and English League Cup, in addition to their eleventh Premier League crown under Sir Alex Ferguson, United will attempt to become the first team to retain the UEFA Champions League when they play FC Barcelona in Rome on 27 May.
At the opposite end of the table, Newcastle United slipped back into the relegation zone after a 1-0 loss to UEFA Europa League chasers Fulham. The north-east club had moved out of the bottom three at the expense of Hull City following Monday’s victory against Middlesbrough, but a defeat inflicted by Diomansy Kamara’s 41st-minute effort and a 1-1 draw for Hull at Bolton Wanderers meant the sides swapped places again. Second-bottom Middlesbrough drew 1-1 at home against Aston Villa and, with one game remaining, sit three points from safety with a worse goal difference than the teams above them.
Elsewhere, FA Cup finalists Everton moved above Villa into fifth by beating West Ham United 3-1, while Stoke City rounded off an impressive home campaign by downing Wigan Athletic 2-0 and Robbie Keane’s 86th-minute penalty earned Tottenham Hotspur a 2-1 home win over Manchester City. Chelsea host Blackburn Rovers in Sunday’s other fixture.
