The timeline of events in the Premier League that showcased Manchester United's charge to the Premiership trophy.
United's defence of their title gets off to a terrible start - draws against Reading and Portsmouth followed by a derby defeat at Manchester City - while Arsenal, shrugging off the loss of Thierry Henry to Barcelona, and Liverpool both make confident starts. Sven-Goran Eriksson's Manchester City set the early pace.
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Chelsea are rocked by Jose Mourinho's abrupt departure. He is replaced by Avram Grant, who suffers a 2-0 defeat at Manchester United in his first match in charge. Unbeaten Arsenal, winning fulsome praise for their slick passing game, move to the top of the table.
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Arsenal maintain their momentum but United are now beginning to hit their stride, inspired by Cristiano Ronaldo's goalscoring heroics and four-goal thrashings of Wigan, Aston Villa and Middlesbrough. Grant gets his first league win at the third attempt against Bolton and Chelsea finish the month on a high by beating Manchester City 6-0.
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William Gallas preserves Arsenal's unbeaten record with a late equaliser in a 2-2 thriller against United. A loss to Bolton dented United's hopes and Liverpool, still unbeaten, remain in the unt as it becomes clear that Fernando Torres is adapting quickly to the English game.
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United beat liverpool 1-0 in the northwest derby while Arsenal beat Chelsea by the same scoreline. Arsenal top the table at Christmas thanks to a 2-1 win over Tottenham and the Gunners celebrate again when United end their year with a 2-1 defeat at West Ham. Chelsea fell to eight points off the pace and Liverpool, rocked by boardroom turmoil, slip out of contention.
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United started the year in style with five straight wins, including a 6-0 rout with Newcastle, who had sacked Sam Allardyce, days earlier to make way for Kevin Keegan's return. Arsenal's vulnerability to injuries is reflected in a 1-1 home draw against Birmingham. Chelsea's squad was bolstered by £15million buy Nicolas Anelka. They hit form with four wins. Liverpool title hopes end with a 1-0 defeat at West Ham.
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A draw at Tottenham followed by a home defeat to Manchester City, just days after the 50th anniversary of the Munich air crash, undermines United's pursuit of Arsenal, who open up a five-pont advantage at the top. A horrific broken leg suffered by Croatian striker Eduardo in a 2-2 draw at Birmingham signals the start of a downturn of Arsenal.
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That result at Birmingham was followed by three consecutive draws, which allowed United to move to the top with another burst of five straight wins, including a 3-0 crushing of Liverpool. Chelsea find form with a crushing win over Derby, followed by a 2-1 success against Arsenal that took them into second place.
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Chelsea stayed in the hunt by beating Everton after dropping points in a 1-1 draw with Wigan. United struggle against Blackburn but Carlos Tevez's late equaliser ensures they keep control of their destiny with three matches left. Micahel Ballack's late penalty gives Chelsea a 2-1 win over the leaders at Stamford Bridge to leave United with no room for error.
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After thumping West Ham 4-1 at Old Trafford, United know they will be champions if they win their final match at Wigan. Chelsea kept the fight alive into the final day by beating Newcastle but United are not to be denied. Ronaldo's 31st goal of the season and a Ryan Giggs strike secure a 2-0 win at Wigan, while Chelsea falter, conceding a last-minute goal to be held to a 1-1 draw at Bolton.
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