Manchester United 0-0 Arsenal: United claim third Premier League title in a row

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It wasn't quite the trip to football heaven that Sir Alex Ferguson craved - but at least Manchester United retained the Premier League title without having to go to Hull and back.

United got what they needed - a point in front of their own fans to equal Liverpool's record18 top-flight titles.

So when they travel to the KC Stadium next Sunday it will be with fringe players on the team bus and the Champions League Final against Barcelona on the boss's mind.

Ferguson had demanded an Old Trafford occasion to remember, a celebration of the style and swagger that has taken his team once more to the threshold of a treble.

This may have been United's 11th championship in 17 years, but only once before - exactly a decade ago - had they clinched the crown in front of their own fans.

The visit of Arsene Wenger's Arsenal, the manager and club who have been United's most consistent challengers over the last decade, was only supposed to add to the occasion.

But Wenger is nobody's patsy. After being hammered by United in Europe and criticised during the week by fans at a meet-and-greet session, the Frenchman sent out his team with the message that the future starts here.

And his young Gunners did not let him down.

Indeed, the Londoners came desperately close to taking the title race to the final weekend when captain Cesc Fabregas hit the post seven minutes from the end.

There was tension and dissent in the air at times. Ryan Giggs, an Old Trafford legend who has been at the heart of every Premier League triumph, was jeered for one wayward pass.

And even Ferguson was given some grief when he protected the point he needed by sending on Ji Sung Park for Carlos Tevez with 24 minutes remaining.

Tevez's response - waving to all corners of the ground as he went off - looked very much like a farewell gesture.

When the United manager addressed the fans after club captain Gary Neville had hoisted the Premier League trophy above his head, the Stretford End couldn't resist telling him Tevez should be signed up.

None of that will be remembered when the red half of Manchester wakes up this morning: Huddersfield, Arsenal and Liverpool may have been champions of England for three years in succession - but only United have accomplished that feat twice.

There was a hint of the 90 minutes of frustration to come in the opening seconds when Cristiano Ronaldo burst clear only to stand on the ball.

Next came a warning. Andrey Arshavin saw Robin van Persie pull off the shoulder of Nemanja Vidic and found him with the perfect cross. But the Dutchman headed over.

Arshavin then plotted a path between John O'Shea, Michael Carrick and Vidic, and Jonny Evans was called on to make a desperate tackle.

The interval seemed to stiffen Arsenal's resolve. Fabregas and Nasri were booked for challenges on Patrice Evra, Fabregas hit the post with an angled left-footed shot from 12 yards and Van Persie unleashed a drive that Van der Sar was grateful to clutch above his head.

At the end, though, the refrain from the Stretford End was "18 leagues and that's a fact" - and that was all that mattered.

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