Barcelona for Primera Liga Title, Manchester United for EPL Title & Inter Milan for Seria A Title 2009 !

LONDON: Manchester United wrapped up a third straight Premier League title yesterday after a goalless draw at home to Arsenal left Alex Ferguson’s side with an unassailable lead over Liverpool.

A point in their penultimate match of the campaign was enough to put the champions out of reach and ensure they equalled Liverpool’s record of 18 league titles on a day that saw Newcastle lurch to the brink of relegation.

“It was the longest 90 minutes in history but we got there,” Ferguson said after an edgy display by his side sealed the 11th title of his Old Trafford reign. “There’s not been one save in the match and that tells you how cautious a match it was.”

Asked what it meant to match Liverpool’s mark of 18 titles, Ferguson replied: “It will make it more special if we get in front of them. We want to progress with this team, which is capable of doing it. It is a young team and next year we are going to go for it again.”

United’s triumph was the result of a consistency that Liverpool – who paid the price for drawing seven matches at home – Chelsea and Arsenal proved unable to match.

Although Ferguson’s men ultimately claimed the title with a match to spare, their only success in six league matches against the three other top four teams was a 3-0 win over Chelsea in January and they were beaten in both league battles with Liverpool.

But history will record that Ferguson’s side finished this season with at least three trophies. Having already lifted the Club World Cup and the League Cup, United will seek to complete a quadruple by retaining the Champions League trophy in the final against Barcelona in Rome on May 27.

Before then, United must travel to Hull for a final league fixture in which the home side will be playing for their survival in the top flight after a 1-1 draw at Bolton yesterday lifted them above Newcastle and out of the bottom three.

Newcastle, who travel to Aston Villa for their final match, slipped back into the relegation zone after a 1-0 home defeat by Fulham.

Diomansy Kamara’s first-half strike kept Fulham in seventh place, the final qualifying spot for European football, and Newcastle’s chances of salvaging something evaporated after Sebastien Bassong was sent off midway through the second period for a professional foul on Kamara.

Tuncay Sanli gave Middlesbrough fans hope they could yet beat the drop with an overhead kick after 14 minutes only for John Carew’s second half strike to earn Villa a point that leaves Boro three points behind Hull and with four goals to make up in terms of goal difference.

Craig Fagan left Hull in control of their own destiny with a second-half equaliser at Bolton, who had gone ahead through Gretar Steinsson.

Everton leapfrogged Villa into fifth place after a 3-1 win over 10-man West Ham, who had James Tomkins sent off for the foul on Tim Cahill that enabled Louis Saha to cancel out Radoslav Kovac’s early long-range strike with a 38th-minute penalty.

Joseph Yobo’s first goal of the season and Saha’s second completed a comfortable win.

Second-half goals from Ricardo Fuller and James Beattie allowed Stoke to celebrate the last home match of their first season back in the top flight with a 2-0 win over Wigan.

Tottenham kept their hopes of a Europa League place next season alive with a 2-1 win over Manchester City. A Robbie Keane penalty four minutes from time gave Spurs the win after City’s Bulgarian striker Valeri Bojinov had cancelled out Jermain Defoe’s 29th-minute effort. — AFP

MADRID (AP): Barcelona won the Spanish league title for the first time in three years on Saturday.

Barcelona’s eight-point advantage became unassailable in the standings when its closest rival Real Madrid lost 3-2 at Villarreal.

Robert Pires, Ruben “Cani” Gracia and Joan Capdevila scored for Villarreal to sentence Madrid to its third straight defeat and leave the team to suffer its first trophyless season since 2005-06. Rafael van der Vaart and Gonzalo Higuain replied for last season’s champion.

“The league is the fairest competition and a test of consistency and I think Barcelona deserved to win it,” Madrid coach Juande Ramos said.

Barcelona, which plays at Mallorca on Sunday, has 86 points with three games left, while Madrid has 78 with two to play. The 19th title in Barcelona’s history was a triumph for 38-year-old coach Pep Guardiola, the club’s former midfielder who was in his first season in charge.

Barcelona president Joan Laporta told the club’s TV station that “reality had exceeded expectations.”

“In footballing terms, it is one of the best seasons in Barcelona’s history, in terms of play, titles and the general state of the club,” Laporta said.

The title success completed Barcelona’s first domestic double for 11 years. The team won the Copa del Rey last Wednesday.

“There are now five doubles in the history of the club and it’s something which is marvelous and fabulous, an excellent moment for people to enjoy quietly and calmly,” Laporta added.

Over 40,000 Barcelona supporters gathered to celebrate at Canaletes fountain on Las Ramblas, the traditional site for celebrating the club’s wins, news agency Europa Press said. Some lit fireworks waved flags and scarves, and drank from bottles of cava.

Guardiola’s team plays Manchester United in the Champions League final on May 27 and is aiming to become the first Spanish team to win the three trophies in a single season.

Madrid, which had conceded nine goals in its previous two losses, fell behind in the 17th minute when Pires beat goalkeeper Iker Casillas with a looping header from Ariel Ibagaza’s left cross.

The visitors leveled at the start of the second half with Van der Vaart scoring from close range from substitute Higuain’s pass. Midfielder Cani restored Villarreal’s lead in the 62nd, seizing on a mistake by Fabio Cannavaro in the penalty area and firing home.

Higuain equalized in the 88th from what appeared to be an offside position, only for Capdevila to win the game after Casillas dropped a corner kick.

Madrid’s final games are against Mallorca and Osasuna before it turns its attention to selecting a new president in June.

Former incumbent Florentine Perez, the only confirmed candidate so far, is expected to make a strong showing.

“It’s fair to recognize that Barcelona has had a really great season. I congratulate it for its campaign and for the title it has obtained,” Madrid’s interim president told La Sexta TV station.

Villarreal’s victory lifted it to fifth place with 59 points, level with fourth-place Valencia.

Also on Saturday, third-place Sevilla remained on course for a place in next season’s Champions League despite being held to 0-0 by lowly Osasuna.

With two matches to play, Sevilla has 64 points and was five points clear of Valencia. Valencia visits Atletico Madrid on Sunday.

Elsewhere, a late goal by Ivan “Riki” Sanchez Rico brought Deportivo La Coruna a 1-1 draw against lowly visitors Getafe. Getafe scored in the 46th minute through Roberto Soldado’s header.

Sunday’s other games are: Real Betis vs. Almeria; Espanyol vs. Athletic Bilbao; Numancia vs. Recreativo Huelva; Racing Santander vs. Valladolid; and Sporting Gijon vs. Malaga.