Ah, close Premier League title races: How everyone but Liverpool supporters miss thee?
On this day in 2002, Arsenal got sweet, sweet, sweet revenge on a Manchester United team that finished first to the Gunners’ second in the previous three seasons.
And they did it at Old Trafford, four days after winning the FA Cup over Chelsea in Cardiff. So much for a hangover.
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Arsenal sat third after 17 matches when they began a 21-match unbeaten run in league play.
Sylvain Wiltord came into the match having scored the previous week against Bolton. He started and finished a play, pouncing on a rebound to beat United 1-0 to clinch a first title since 1998 and 12th in English top-flight history.
📍 The Theatre of Dreams
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) May 8, 2020
🎭 The perfect finale
Nights like these 🤩 pic.twitter.com/5CG0odvJU0
The loss cost Manchester United their front-row seat to the Champions League group stage, as Liverpool rebounded from a loss at Spurs to win its final two matches by a combined score of 9-3.
United won the next season’s title before Arsenal went on its Invincibles run in 2003-04.
NBC analyst Lee Dixon came off the bench late to make the 453rd of his 454 appearances for the Gunners, going out on top the next week against Everton.