![]()
Here, SunSport highlights six key matches on United's
road to glory.
They were in the bottom half early in the season before
surging through the field to claim the top spot.
Great games, great goals – here are the magnificent
milestones that saw the Red Devils' seal the title.
September 21 2008: Chelsea 1
United 1
United bounced back from a 2-1 defeat at Liverpool to
rebuild their confidence with a battling point at Stamford Bridge.
Ji-Sung Park put the Red Devils ahead on 18 minutes after Peter
Cech had spilled the ball from a Dimitar Berbatov shot. United held
on until ten minutes from the end, when sub Salomon Kalou headed
home the equaliser.
United’s position: 14th
December 26, 2008: Stoke City
0 United 1
This was the match singled out by Fergie as the turning
point in the title campaign – the start of an 11-game winning run.
It was United’s first league match for 13 days after their trip to
Japan, where they won the World Club Championship. Stoke were
causing problems for the newly-crowned world's best team until
Carlos Tevez cracked an 83rd-minute winner from Dimitar Berbatov’s
pass.
United’s position: 3rd
January 11 2009: United 3
Chelsea 0
United were three games into that 11-match winning run
when they hammered Chelsea with goals from Nemanja Vidic, Rooney
and Berbatov. After this Sunday treat, they went on to beat Wigan
1-0 at home four days later and then Bolton 1-0 away the following
Saturday to crank up the pressure on their title rivals.
United’s position: 3rd
April
5 2009: United 3 Villa 2
Teen wonder Federico Macheda struck in the 93rd minute
to put United back on track after their title hopes had been rocked
by defeats at home to Liverpool and away to Fulham. Macheda, 17,
broke the stalemate with a spectacular effort after Ronaldo scored
twice for United either side of goals from John Carew and Gabriel
Agbonlahor.
United’s position: 1st
April
25 2009: United 5 Tottenham 2
United punished Spurs for taking a two-goal half time
lead by storming back for a sensational victory which took them
three points clear of Liverpool at the top. Darren Bent and Luka
Modric silenced Old Trafford, but the second half was one-way
traffic with Rooney and Ronaldo grabbing two each and Berbatov
adding the fifth.
United’s position: 1st
May
13 2009: Wigan 1 United 2
Carlos Tevez had United fans singing in the rain as he
turned this match round to leave Ferguson's men on the brink of the
title. Hugo Rodallega bustled past Vidic to put Wigan ahead with a
controversial goal on 28 minutes. But sub Tevez levelled by
flicking the ball home with his back to goal before Michael Carrick
blasted the winner.
United’s position: 1st