The Hindu : Sport : Man U wins 10th Premier League title

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Monday, May 12, 2008
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Man U wins 10th Premier League title

Chelsea finishes runner-up; Birmingham, Reading relegated

LONDON: Cristiano Ronaldo and Ryan Giggs scored a goal each on Sunday to give Manchester United its 10th Premier League title in 16 years after a 2-0 victory over Wigan.

Second-place Chelsea, which was even on points going into the final day of the season but trailing on goal difference, was held to a 1-1 draw by Bolton and finished two points behind.

United won with 87 points and Chelsea, which finishes runner-up for the second season in a row, has 85.

Now, 17-time English champion United is chasing Liverpool’s all-time record of 18 league titles. “I think it will come,” said United manager Alex Ferguson. “This team is developing all the time. It’s a good young team and there’s plenty of years left in them.”

Fulham survives

At the other end, Birmingham City and Reading were relegated despite winning comfortably. Birmingham beat Blackburn Rovers 4-1 and Reading defeated last-place and already relegated Derby County 4-0. But Fulham survived after a 1-0 victory at FA Cup finalist Portsmouth on Danny Murphy’s 76th-minute goal.

There was tension at Wigan’s JJB Stadium and Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge as the two title contenders went into the final day even on points. United defender Rio Ferdinand was lucky not to give away an early penalty when a shot from Jason Koumas hit him on the arm.

But United was awarded one in the 33rd after Emerson Boyce’s foul on Wayne Rooney. Ronaldo’s spot kick gave him his 31st league goal of the season and 41st overall.

While everything was going right for United, it was all going wrong for Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

After an early miss by Didier Drogba, captain John Terry was carried off the field with a dislocated elbow after colliding with his own goalkeeper, Petr Cech. Andriy Shevchenko put the Blues ahead in the 62nd minute, however, to give Chelsea some hope.

But after Giggs scored at Wigan, Matthew Taylor replied for Bolton and Chelsea fell two points short.

The results:Birmingham 4 (David Murphy 31, Cameron Jerome 73, 89, Fabrice Muamba 90+3) bt Blackburn 1 (Morten Gamst Pedersen 49); Chelsea 1 (Andriy Shevchenko 62) drew with Bolton 1 (Kevin Davies 90+3); Derby 0 lost to Reading 4 (James Harper 15, Dave Kitson 61, Kevin Doyle 69, Leroy Lita 88); Everton 3 (Yakubu Aiyegbeni 31, 82-pen, Joleon Lescott 70) bt Newcastle United 1 (Michael Owen 47-pen); Middlesbrough 8 (Stewart Downing 16-pen, 58, Afonso Alves 37, 60, 90, Adam Johnson 70, Fabio Rochemback 80, Jeremie Aliadiere 85) bt Manchester City 1 (Elano 87); Portsmouth 0 lost to Fulham 1 (Danny Murphy 76); Sunderland 0 lost to Arsenal 1 (Theo Walcott 24); Tottenham Hotspur 0 lost to Liverpool 2 (Andriy Voronin 73, Fernando Torres 74); West Ham United 2 (Nolberto Solano 8, Dean Ashton 88) drew with Aston Villa 2 (Ashley Young 14, Gareth Barry 58); Wigan Athletic 0 lost to Manchester United 2 (Cristiano Ronaldo 33-pen, Ryan Giggs 80). — AP

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