ROBIN VAN PERSIE hit a first-half hat-trick as Manchester United cantered to an unprecedented 20th English league title with an emphatic 3-0 victory at home to Aston Villa on Monday.
Manchester City’s 3-1 loss at Tottenham Hotspur a day earlier had handed United a chance to regain the title and Alex Ferguson’s men needed no second invitation, swamping Villa to claim the championship with four games to spare.
Van Persie, United’s number 20, was the man who brought United their 20th top-flight crown, netting inside 90 seconds and then scoring a breath-taking volley before completing his hat-trick 12 minutes before half-time.
With 13 Premier League titles, United manager Ferguson and veteran midfielder Ryan Giggs, creator of two of van Persie’s goals, have now each won as many English league crowns as Arsenal.
Advertisement
Eternal rivals Liverpool, meanwhile, now trail United by two championships on the all-time honours board.
Villa never threatened to poop the party and remain under threat from third-bottom Wigan Athletic, who could suck Paul Lambert’s side into the relegation zone if they win their game in hand.
The evening’s outcome was never in doubt from the moment, just one minute and 23 seconds into the game, when van Persie put United in front.
Rafael da Silva’s delivery from the right appeared overhit, but Giggs rescued it by volleying a cushioned cross across goal for the Dutchman to tap in from barely a yard.
A chant of ‘Championey!’ rang out from Old Trafford’s Stretford End as United continued to press, Rafael hitting the post with a crisp strike from 20 yards.
Villa threatened to spoil things when Christian Benteke side-footed over from Andreas Weimann’s pass, only for van Persie to double United’s lead with a strike to rival any goal scored in Europe this season.
Wayne Rooney floated a 40-yard pass behind the Villa defence and van Persie met the ball first-time with a technically immaculate volley from outside the box that rocketed past goalkeeper Brad Guzan and into the net.
On a night rich with symmetry, van Persie’s third goal arrived in the 33rd minute.
Shinji Kagawa freed Giggs, who unselfishly squared to van Persie, and the former Arsenal striker neatly side-stepped Guzan before lifting the ball into the roof of the net.
With 24 goals, United’s £24 million ($37 million, 28 million euros) man now leads Luis Suarez by a goal in the top scorers’ chart, to further blacken the Liverpool striker’s mood after he was charged by the Football Association for biting Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic on Sunday.
Van Persie further illustrated his value by heading off the line from Weimann early in the second half, while David de Gea saved smartly from Benteke and Karim El Ahmadi.
Kagawa spurned a glorious chance to make it 4-0 when he blazed over the bar, but by then the match, like the title race, had long been decided.
Sir Alex Ferguson has to be admired for bringing Manchester UTD so much premier league success! The man is a living legend! Well done to both players and all at the club! The definition of a successful professional football club had to be UTD!
And RVP made a point of thanking EVERYONE at the club. I think that was v.sound. He seems a nice guy (and dont bombard me with accusations which were unproven)… Let us enjoy it :-)
Have to agree Ted. Some performance over the season. That’s why there is so many ABUs head the ball. Show some class and humility in victory. Enjoy it for being winners not for how it makes supporters of other teams feel. Just smacks of bitterness
If he can’t motivate/inspire the top class strikers he already has, he wouldn’t have done any better with RVP. Mancini is not good enough, and got lucky last year, in the end. I hope they don’t sack him, he’s like another Rafa and houllier, only with a league title. Premier league back in the real Manchester! Champions again!
Alex was so magnanimous, he said some nice things about Villas young team. Dont like Giggs but I dont know him personally, but professionally he’s always on the ball.
Ah I’m delighted with the red thumbs, we took some stick last season I’m gonna be the most obnoxious United fan you could meet for the next few days Giggsys a Legend.
Go with it man! Ive Always been a good winner respectful to other fans but thats all gone out the window this season I’ve been texting every ABU I know that gave us so much stick last season no reply there’s some in there for the Sunderland fans doing the Posznan at the stadium of light too, convieniantly forgetting United gave them half there team.
I am here congrats, remember back in the day lapping it up to you guys…. Well…. Lay it on me now… Hope this spurs on the pool…. Fergie watching pool win was his inspiration, and I B. Rodgers trying o build something good too…. Long live the real rivalry….
Back int 80′s there was teams like Southampton, Villa, Everton that chased Pool, but it was always the Man U game that gave me the nerves, and judging by what I see here when we play each other, its the same, and also tragedies have United this already special rivalry, despite idiots that show up from both sides…. Again, congrats on 20, next year 19 for us! Ahhh well, I can hope….
Hehehe, yeah, no matter how bad Pool do be, there is always Leeds….. And they sold the man that helped you guys get over that hump to finally win it! I do not feel so bad now! ;)
Clearly is, Trafford is one of the 10 area that makes up Manchester. Saying it isn’t manchester because it isn’t within the boundaries of the city council is like saying Dundrum isn’t in Dublin because its in Dun-Laoghaire Rathdown Co Co rather than the corporation.
Look it, I know it must be soul destroying for a Liverpool fan to watch United do this to your club but that’s life. We came out of nowhere, from 7 to 20. Belittle it all you want, but it won’t make you feel any better and it certainly won’t make us feel any worse.
Winning it at a canter was all the sweeter considering how we lost it last season.
Anyway, keep commenting on here as if you know from experience all the best ways of winning the title. Because from my experience, it’s pretty f**king awesome EVERY. SINGLE. TIME!
not forgetting Suarez, only for him the scousers would have been involved in a relegation dogfight, Brendan “David Brent” Rodgers will really need the “me” in “team” should the cannibal leave !!!
CHAMPIONS. Van Persie made the difference and just fit perfectly into a young, talented team. Michael Carrick was brilliant all season. Bring on title number 21!
Your on holidays for the last 2 hrs?
Your keyboard must be stuck as your still piping out the same lies. Fact.
Fact is your the only one who thinks they were off side.
You then dissed what the head if the Hillsboro and those who believed it.
It has been proved since that she said that.
Give it up Leigh. Your e bar easing yourself and LFC.
Build up to the1st was offside 3 was offside2,6 all season,officials are scared to go against Ferguson,iv been watching all matches this season its unbelievable the much influence Ferguson has over the officials,media,FA,there has to be a investigation
Hi headtheball.many goals offside last night,eh utd own officials 1 last week too,6 goals he has scored from offside this season that’s another record for rvp haha,VERMIN corruption
Last week was offside, none last night were. 1st and 3rd he was behind Giggs and you can’t ever be offside if you are behind the player passing the ball to you or the ball is square/backwards. 2nd goal was so marginal it was near impossible to tell so the directive is to favour the attacker.
Rory McIlroy takes two-shot lead into final round of Masters
5 hrs ago
13
FreeWomen's Premier Division wrap
Shelbourne put seven past Bohemians to keep pressure on Athlone
6 hrs ago
0
As it happened
Bordeaux Bègles v Munster, Champions Cup quarter-final
16 hrs ago
101
Sign in or create a free account
To continue reading create a free account
Or sign into an existing account
Your Cookies. Your Choice.
Cookies help provide our news service while also enabling the advertising needed to fund this work.
We categorise cookies as Necessary, Performance (used to analyse the site performance) and Targeting (used to target advertising which helps us keep this service free).
We and our 168 partners store and access personal data, like browsing data or unique identifiers, on your device. Selecting Accept All enables tracking technologies to support the purposes shown under we and our partners process data to provide. If trackers are disabled, some content and ads you see may not be as relevant to you. You can resurface this menu to change your choices or withdraw consent at any time by clicking the Cookie Preferences link on the bottom of the webpage .Your choices will have effect within our Website. For more details, refer to our Privacy Policy.Privacy Policy
We and our vendors process data for the following purposes:
Use precise geolocation data. Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Store and/or access information on a device. Personalised advertising and content, advertising and content measurement, audience research and services development.
Cookies Preference Centre
We process your data to deliver content or advertisements and measure the delivery of such content or advertisements to extract insights about our website. We share this information with our partners on the basis of consent. You may exercise your right to consent, based on a specific purpose below or at a partner level in the link under each purpose. Some vendors may process your data based on their legitimate interests, which does not require your consent. You cannot object to tracking technologies placed to ensure security, prevent fraud, fix errors, or deliver and present advertising and content, and precise geolocation data and active scanning of device characteristics for identification may be used to support this purpose. This exception does not apply to targeted advertising. These choices will be signaled to our vendors participating in the Transparency and Consent Framework.
Manage Consent Preferences
Necessary Cookies
Always Active
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then these services may not function properly.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we will not be able to monitor our performance.
Store and/or access information on a device 113 partners can use this purpose
Cookies, device or similar online identifiers (e.g. login-based identifiers, randomly assigned identifiers, network based identifiers) together with other information (e.g. browser type and information, language, screen size, supported technologies etc.) can be stored or read on your device to recognise it each time it connects to an app or to a website, for one or several of the purposes presented here.
Personalised advertising and content, advertising and content measurement, audience research and services development 149 partners can use this purpose
Use limited data to select advertising 117 partners can use this purpose
Advertising presented to you on this service can be based on limited data, such as the website or app you are using, your non-precise location, your device type or which content you are (or have been) interacting with (for example, to limit the number of times an ad is presented to you).
Create profiles for personalised advertising 84 partners can use this purpose
Information about your activity on this service (such as forms you submit, content you look at) can be stored and combined with other information about you (for example, information from your previous activity on this service and other websites or apps) or similar users. This is then used to build or improve a profile about you (that might include possible interests and personal aspects). Your profile can be used (also later) to present advertising that appears more relevant based on your possible interests by this and other entities.
Use profiles to select personalised advertising 84 partners can use this purpose
Advertising presented to you on this service can be based on your advertising profiles, which can reflect your activity on this service or other websites or apps (like the forms you submit, content you look at), possible interests and personal aspects.
Create profiles to personalise content 39 partners can use this purpose
Information about your activity on this service (for instance, forms you submit, non-advertising content you look at) can be stored and combined with other information about you (such as your previous activity on this service or other websites or apps) or similar users. This is then used to build or improve a profile about you (which might for example include possible interests and personal aspects). Your profile can be used (also later) to present content that appears more relevant based on your possible interests, such as by adapting the order in which content is shown to you, so that it is even easier for you to find content that matches your interests.
Use profiles to select personalised content 35 partners can use this purpose
Content presented to you on this service can be based on your content personalisation profiles, which can reflect your activity on this or other services (for instance, the forms you submit, content you look at), possible interests and personal aspects. This can for example be used to adapt the order in which content is shown to you, so that it is even easier for you to find (non-advertising) content that matches your interests.
Measure advertising performance 138 partners can use this purpose
Information regarding which advertising is presented to you and how you interact with it can be used to determine how well an advert has worked for you or other users and whether the goals of the advertising were reached. For instance, whether you saw an ad, whether you clicked on it, whether it led you to buy a product or visit a website, etc. This is very helpful to understand the relevance of advertising campaigns.
Measure content performance 63 partners can use this purpose
Information regarding which content is presented to you and how you interact with it can be used to determine whether the (non-advertising) content e.g. reached its intended audience and matched your interests. For instance, whether you read an article, watch a video, listen to a podcast or look at a product description, how long you spent on this service and the web pages you visit etc. This is very helpful to understand the relevance of (non-advertising) content that is shown to you.
Understand audiences through statistics or combinations of data from different sources 78 partners can use this purpose
Reports can be generated based on the combination of data sets (like user profiles, statistics, market research, analytics data) regarding your interactions and those of other users with advertising or (non-advertising) content to identify common characteristics (for instance, to determine which target audiences are more receptive to an ad campaign or to certain contents).
Develop and improve services 86 partners can use this purpose
Information about your activity on this service, such as your interaction with ads or content, can be very helpful to improve products and services and to build new products and services based on user interactions, the type of audience, etc. This specific purpose does not include the development or improvement of user profiles and identifiers.
Use limited data to select content 37 partners can use this purpose
Content presented to you on this service can be based on limited data, such as the website or app you are using, your non-precise location, your device type, or which content you are (or have been) interacting with (for example, to limit the number of times a video or an article is presented to you).
Use precise geolocation data 49 partners can use this special feature
With your acceptance, your precise location (within a radius of less than 500 metres) may be used in support of the purposes explained in this notice.
Actively scan device characteristics for identification 27 partners can use this special feature
With your acceptance, certain characteristics specific to your device might be requested and used to distinguish it from other devices (such as the installed fonts or plugins, the resolution of your screen) in support of the purposes explained in this notice.
Ensure security, prevent and detect fraud, and fix errors 95 partners can use this special purpose
Always Active
Your data can be used to monitor for and prevent unusual and possibly fraudulent activity (for example, regarding advertising, ad clicks by bots), and ensure systems and processes work properly and securely. It can also be used to correct any problems you, the publisher or the advertiser may encounter in the delivery of content and ads and in your interaction with them.
Deliver and present advertising and content 102 partners can use this special purpose
Always Active
Certain information (like an IP address or device capabilities) is used to ensure the technical compatibility of the content or advertising, and to facilitate the transmission of the content or ad to your device.
Match and combine data from other data sources 73 partners can use this feature
Always Active
Information about your activity on this service may be matched and combined with other information relating to you and originating from various sources (for instance your activity on a separate online service, your use of a loyalty card in-store, or your answers to a survey), in support of the purposes explained in this notice.
Link different devices 54 partners can use this feature
Always Active
In support of the purposes explained in this notice, your device might be considered as likely linked to other devices that belong to you or your household (for instance because you are logged in to the same service on both your phone and your computer, or because you may use the same Internet connection on both devices).
Identify devices based on information transmitted automatically 92 partners can use this feature
Always Active
Your device might be distinguished from other devices based on information it automatically sends when accessing the Internet (for instance, the IP address of your Internet connection or the type of browser you are using) in support of the purposes exposed in this notice.
Save and communicate privacy choices 72 partners can use this special purpose
Always Active
The choices you make regarding the purposes and entities listed in this notice are saved and made available to those entities in the form of digital signals (such as a string of characters). This is necessary in order to enable both this service and those entities to respect such choices.
Looking forward to the guard of honour he gets next week at the emirates!!!!
Nice to see RVP get a title he deserves after the injuries and frustrations he’s had.
Agree SlyLad, the boy is quality.
Ryan Giggs is a Legend! 21 years later and he’s still assisting and scoring goals and winning league titles.
To all you ABUs, United Abú!!
Ryan giggs destroying teams since 1991 #respect
Walking in a Fergie wonderland!
Arsenal FC – 13 league titles
Ryan Giggs – 13 league titles
Stevie g 0 titles.
Liverpool 0 PL titles
5
0 PL Titles
enjoy the title lads, well done,deserved
Good man Jamie, thanks for the banter ;) Until next season ;)
next year will be our year! ; )
Sir Alex Ferguson has to be admired for bringing Manchester UTD so much premier league success! The man is a living legend! Well done to both players and all at the club! The definition of a successful professional football club had to be UTD!
And RVP made a point of thanking EVERYONE at the club. I think that was v.sound. He seems a nice guy (and dont bombard me with accusations which were unproven)… Let us enjoy it :-)
Congrats to Utd on the league, 100% deserved, as Mancini said at the start of the season missing out on RVP was the difference between the two!
Fair play Ted. Hats off for coming onto this story. We are probably driving the ABU’s nuts but it has to be done! :D
Have to agree Ted. Some performance over the season. That’s why there is so many ABUs head the ball. Show some class and humility in victory. Enjoy it for being winners not for how it makes supporters of other teams feel. Just smacks of bitterness
I am showing as much class as the ABU’s show when we lose, so take it when its your turn. Don’t be such a girl.
Ur gas :-)
That was for HTB.
Fair play Ted..I’ve left a nice juicy bone in the butchers paid for by me.
If he can’t motivate/inspire the top class strikers he already has, he wouldn’t have done any better with RVP. Mancini is not good enough, and got lucky last year, in the end. I hope they don’t sack him, he’s like another Rafa and houllier, only with a league title. Premier league back in the real Manchester! Champions again!
A lot of Scousers and ABUs hiding behind red thumbs too ha ha
Yep. Refuse to let us enjoy it.
Alex was so magnanimous, he said some nice things about Villas young team. Dont like Giggs but I dont know him personally, but professionally he’s always on the ball.
Ah I’m delighted with the red thumbs, we took some stick last season I’m gonna be the most obnoxious United fan you could meet for the next few days Giggsys a Legend.
Im 31, been a UTD fan since I was 2. Still get butterflies watching them. Even when we mess up, the spirit and character is beautiful to watch.
Alex is the cog :-)
No ye won’t Paul….that’ll be me:-)
step back Bit*CHES, I’m wanting that title :D
Go with it man! Ive Always been a good winner respectful to other fans but thats all gone out the window this season I’ve been texting every ABU I know that gave us so much stick last season no reply there’s some in there for the Sunderland fans doing the Posznan at the stadium of light too, convieniantly forgetting United gave them half there team.
I am here congrats, remember back in the day lapping it up to you guys…. Well…. Lay it on me now… Hope this spurs on the pool…. Fergie watching pool win was his inspiration, and I B. Rodgers trying o build something good too…. Long live the real rivalry….
Ah Graham, give us a hug you big lump of Scouse :D
Fair play for coming on, least you can take it and dish it out ;)
Respect! Cheers man
Competition and healthy competition at that is what the game is all about.
Very few pleasures in life and UTD and football is one of mine.
Fair play..good man graham.
Back int 80′s there was teams like Southampton, Villa, Everton that chased Pool, but it was always the Man U game that gave me the nerves, and judging by what I see here when we play each other, its the same, and also tragedies have United this already special rivalry, despite idiots that show up from both sides…. Again, congrats on 20, next year 19 for us! Ahhh well, I can hope….
Couldn’t have put it any better Graham spot on.
And poor Leeds in the early 90′s aaah
Hehehe, yeah, no matter how bad Pool do be, there is always Leeds….. And they sold the man that helped you guys get over that hump to finally win it! I do not feel so bad now! ;)
True.
Rub it up ya! A very quiet board tonight Champions. The greatest thing about being a United fan stats : – )
Especially since i remember the 80s when we won nothing but two fa cups.
Well I was 10 coming out of the 80s so I’m not gonna pretend I remember the bad old days that well but I was always a United fan
V quite site tonight for sure.
Must say its great to see the opposition actually come on and congratulate United on the 20th title……
CHAMPIONOLE CHAMPIOLE
What a match.
Over the moon.
Over the blue moon. Just pulling down the pants on it
Not sure what blue moon means :-)
I was 12 and just about remember beating brighton in 83….
Make me old then ye boys!!!!!!! I was 19 then!!
Ah just realised what the blue moon comment means.
LOL MB, its ok. I wasn’t goin to be rude and explain :D
Im a lady.
“don’t you know” :D
Doing the hand now :-)
It is when a full moon appears twice in a calendar month. Now you know.
Or once in 43 years
Number 20 gives us our 20th
Gutted the trophy is leaving Manchester. Damn you Salford Redsocks!
Haha fail!!! United aren’t in the city of Salford they are in the borough of Trafford!
Whatevs Joseph, it still ain’t Manchester :p
Clearly is, Trafford is one of the 10 area that makes up Manchester. Saying it isn’t manchester because it isn’t within the boundaries of the city council is like saying Dundrum isn’t in Dublin because its in Dun-Laoghaire Rathdown Co Co rather than the corporation.
It’s in GREATER MANCHESTER.
NOT MANCHESTER.
What a great season! With the young players Alex has brought in the future is red!
Average age of 24! Lots of years of success ahead.
Any ABU fans……
Waheyyyyy
Nah, they don’t have the balls to come on now.
Ha I tell ye, delighted.
MC owned it last year.
This season we have a new hero.
Not as exciting as last season,down to the wire,pretty crap league to win it in January,anti-climax and all that
“,anti-climax and all that” – Just what your missis said last night eh ;)
Haha
It was actually yo momma! ;)
@Gaius
Look it, I know it must be soul destroying for a Liverpool fan to watch United do this to your club but that’s life. We came out of nowhere, from 7 to 20. Belittle it all you want, but it won’t make you feel any better and it certainly won’t make us feel any worse.
Winning it at a canter was all the sweeter considering how we lost it last season.
Anyway, keep commenting on here as if you know from experience all the best ways of winning the title. Because from my experience, it’s pretty f**king awesome EVERY. SINGLE. TIME!
ABU fans are having a good laugh at you. Thanks
As is both his sisters and my momma. Helped him across the road so she did.
Ah I’m only having a bit of banter,a well deserved title,no doubt,it’ll be interesting to see what happens with Rooney now
not forgetting Suarez, only for him the scousers would have been involved in a relegation dogfight, Brendan “David Brent” Rodgers will really need the “me” in “team” should the cannibal leave !!!
Premier League Champions now.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04854XqcfCY
I think we should just red thumb ourselves, 20 red thumbs each
Yep red is the colour tonight more red thumbs please
Glory glory man United
Ah great win and the second goal just topped it off.
No 20 in the bag. Great night all round.
Hand her back Manchini….
CHAMPIONS. Van Persie made the difference and just fit perfectly into a young, talented team. Michael Carrick was brilliant all season. Bring on title number 21!
Congratulations Man United , and Alex Ferguson, “simply the best”
And with 3 offside goals to boot.Ah well.Wouldn’t expect any different
Offsides…. love your FB profile pic there, Suarez isn’t it. You must be proud.
The same so called offsides happen everyday.
Why dont u petition FIFA to introduce goal line technology quicker then.
We still demolished the season.
Yeeha.
Not one goal was offside. Get some glasses.
Great coverage now of the PL winners on TV. Going to be a great night of highlights.
When footballers try to sing -> http://youtu.be/m1g-Hd6Exd0 … Sing-along.
Luis Suárez and El Hadji Diouf should do a duet like that…..
20
RVP in for a hot reception on Sunday.
I for one am looking forward to it.
I’m sure the PL medal around his neck is shaking with fear! He won’t give a toss. He is a PL Champion.
A hot reception at Arsenal, I’ve seen freezers with a higher temperature than there, cockney bores.
Me too, RVP is even looking forward to getting back there with his winners Medal to show them he was right.
I was there last night,fantastic atmosphere and what a game to be at…RVP’s second goal was unreal…
Savage atmosphere. Great goal to top it.
Its almost poetic.
Only reason i didn’t comment i was on holidays,3 goals were offside 2nd 1 was to tight but 1st and 3nd was,FACT,and less of the personal attacks ok
Your on holidays for the last 2 hrs?
Your keyboard must be stuck as your still piping out the same lies. Fact.
Fact is your the only one who thinks they were off side.
You then dissed what the head if the Hillsboro and those who believed it.
It has been proved since that she said that.
Give it up Leigh. Your e bar easing yourself and LFC.
Build up to the1st was offside 3 was offside2,6 all season,officials are scared to go against Ferguson,iv been watching all matches this season its unbelievable the much influence Ferguson has over the officials,media,FA,there has to be a investigation
What’s funnier is on your Facebook page you like the page “conspiracy syndrome”….. Sums it all up perfectly.
Hi headtheball.many goals offside last night,eh utd own officials 1 last week too,6 goals he has scored from offside this season that’s another record for rvp haha,VERMIN corruption
Last week was offside, none last night were. 1st and 3rd he was behind Giggs and you can’t ever be offside if you are behind the player passing the ball to you or the ball is square/backwards. 2nd goal was so marginal it was near impossible to tell so the directive is to favour the attacker.
Wrong again Leah. Your posting facts there for the lad few weeks about united. Each wrong, each as bitter as the next.