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Champions Reds claim title as Arsenal crashes at home
Updated: Saturday April 14, 2001 2:10 PM
LONDON (AP) -- With five games to spare and confirming what has seemed inevitable for months, Manchester United on Saturday claimed its third straight Premier League title and its seventh in nine seasons. United's title was the earliest that the Premier League has ever been won -- beating Man United's own record last season by eight days. It also marked the first time since Liverpool won in 1982, '83 and '84 that a team has won three straight in the top level of English soccer. First-division Fulham also guaranteed promotion to the Premier League with a 2-1 victory over Huddersfield, moving Jean Tigana's west London club to 93 points atop the standings and assuring it of finishing in first or second. Fulham can also clinch first place in its next match. To clinch the title, Man United needed to defeat Coventry and then have Middlesbrough beat Arsenal three hours later. Both things happened. Man United, with late goals from Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes, and two from Dwight Yorke, overcame Coventry 4-2 at Old Trafford to run its point total to 76 with five games to play. John Hartson scored Coventry's goals. Arsenal, the only side with at least a mathematical chance, was beaten 3-0 in north London by Middlesbrough. It was Middlesbrough's first win at Arsenal in 62 years and the Gunners' first league home loss of the season. Arsenal has 60 points with five to play. Arsenal scored two own-goals and Hamilton Ricard scored the other in the 58th for Middlesbrough. Manchester United's only disappointment will be not being able to clinch the title next Saturday at home against cross-town rival Manchester City. Man United midfielder Roy Keane said the focus now shifts quickly to Bayern Munich, where the Reds play Wednesday trailing the Bavarian side 1-0 going into the second-leg of the Champions League quarterfinals. "The plus for us is we looked like scoring," Keane added said of the four goals. "We just have to look after ourselves, we've got more important things to worry about like Bayern Munich on Wednesday. Hartson gave Coventry a 1-0 lead in the 10th minute when he won a scramble for a loose ball in the box and scored from 5 meters (yards). Yorke made it 1-1 two minutes later on a blazing 20-meter (yard) drive that beat Manchester United goalkeeper Andy Goram to his right. Yorke put Man United up 2-1 in the 27th, scoring on a close-in shot after he got clear -- because of poor defending -- in the box. Hartson equalized in the 33rd on a header as he climbed over Manchester United defender Wes Brown. In all Premier League games Saturday: Arsenal 0, Middlesbrough 3; Aston Villa 2, Everton 1; Chelsea 1, Southampton 0; Ipswich 1, Newcastle 0; Leicester 1. Manchester City 2; Manchester United 4, Coventry 2; Sunderland 2, Tottenham 3; West Ham 3, Derby 1. Middlesbrough's 3-0 win over Arsenal moved it five points clear of relegation on 35 points, the same as Derby Bradford has only 21 points in last place with Coventry and Manchester City on 30 points in the other two relegation places. Ipswich's victory moved it back into third place with 56 points behind Arsenal (60) and Man United (76). Leeds also has 56 after its 2-1 victory on Friday over Liverpool on goals by Rio Ferdinand and Lee Bowyer. The top three teams in the league are guaranteed places next season in the Champions League. Chelsea hold fifth place with 50 followed by Liverpool (50), Sunderland (49) and Aston Villa (48). In all first-division results: Burnley 1, West Brom 1; Gillingham 4, Sheffield United 1; Grimsby 2, Watford 1; Huddersfield 1, Fulham 2; Portsmouth 1, Queens Park Rangers 1; Preston 1, Nottingham Forest 1; Sheffield Wedensday 4, Crystal Palace 1; Stockport 0, Blackburn 0; Tranmere 0, Norwich 1; Wimbledon 1, Barnsley 1; Wolverhampton 0, Crewe 0.
Fulham, with only four defeats in 41 games, has 95 points, followed by Blackburn (77), Bolton (74), Birmingham (70), West Brom (70) and Preston (66). In Scotland, Hibernian defeated Livingston 3-0 to reach the finals of the Scottish Cup. Celtic faced Dundee United on Sunday in the other semifinals. Details of matches played Saturday: Arsenal 0, Middlesbrough 3 (0-2) It was an abysmal day for Arsenal and two of its Brazilians - Edu and Silvio Silvinho. In the space of four mintues they scored own goals with Middlesbrough's Hamilton Ricard adding the only legitimate goal in the 58th. The loss handed the Premier League title to Manchester United and moved Middlesbrough five points clear of relegation. It was also a bad send off as Arsenal goes to Spain's Valencia leading 2-1 going into the second-leg quarterfinals of the European Champions Cup. Aston Villa 2, Everton 1 (1-1) Ian Taylor got the winner with nine minutes left and kept Villa in the chase for a place in Europe. Dion Dublin gave Villa a 1-0 lead in the 2nd with David Unsworth equalizing in the 21. Despite the loss, Everton is eight points clear of relegation danger. Chelsea 1, Southampton 0 (1-0) Gustavo Poyet of Uruguay netted the winner in the 43rd as Chelsea moved into fifth place with 51 points, five behind Leeds and one up on Liverpool. It was Chelsea's first three straight wins this season in the league. Southampton continues to struggle under caretaker manager Sturat Gray -- Glenn Hoddle's replacement -- with three losses in three games and no goals. Ipswich 1, Newcastle 0 (0-0) Marcus Stewart scored his 21st of the season -- a penalty in the 76th -- to ruin Bobby Robson's return to Ipswich. It was Robson's first return to the touchline at Ipswich in 19 years. Robson spent 13 years at Portman Road and brought the side the F.A. Cup and UEFA Cup. Leicester 1, Manchester City 2 (1-1) Paulo Wanchope got the winner in the 67th to move Man City up to 30 points, tied with Coventry for the last relegation spot. Shaun Goater gave Man City a 1-0 lead in the 17th with Ade Akinbiyi equalizing in the 41st. Manchester United 4, Coventry 2 (2-2) Man United is the champion again. The Reds won their seventh title in nine seasons with the victory over Coventry -- and Arsenal's 3-0 loss to Middlesbrough -- putting them over the top. Dwight Yorke scored two with Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes also chipping in. Man United is the first team to win three straight leagues titles in England's top league since Liverpool did it in 1982, '83 and '84. Sunderland 2, Tottenham 3 (2-0) Sunderland went off to a 2-0 lead in 12 minutes on goals by Kevin Kilbane and Niall Quinn. But Tottenham struck back with a 53rd-minute strike from Stephen Clemence and the deciders by Gary Doherty in the 75th and 88th. West Ham 3, Derby 1 (3-0) The win moved West Ham out of relegation danger. But the loss pushed Derby five points from a spot in the bottom three. Frederic Kanoute, Frank Lampard and Joe Cole scored before Thordur Gudjonsson struck in the 83rd for Derby.
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