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Manchester United's Robin van Persie wears number 20 in the season that his team could go on to win their 20th league title. Mike Egerton/EMPICS Sport

Van Persie treble fires United to 20th title

Eternal rivals Liverpool, meanwhile, now trail them by two championships on the all-time honours board.

ROBIN VAN PERSIE hit a first-half hat-trick as Manchester United cantered to an unprecedented 20th English league title with an emphatic 3-0 victory at home to Aston Villa on Monday.

Manchester City’s 3-1 loss at Tottenham Hotspur a day earlier had handed United a chance to regain the title and Alex Ferguson’s men needed no second invitation, swamping Villa to claim the championship with four games to spare.

Van Persie, United’s number 20, was the man who brought United their 20th top-flight crown, netting inside 90 seconds and then scoring a breath-taking volley before completing his hat-trick 12 minutes before half-time.

With 13 Premier League titles, United manager Ferguson and veteran midfielder Ryan Giggs, creator of two of van Persie’s goals, have now each won as many English league crowns as Arsenal.

Eternal rivals Liverpool, meanwhile, now trail United by two championships on the all-time honours board.

Villa never threatened to poop the party and remain under threat from third-bottom Wigan Athletic, who could suck Paul Lambert’s side into the relegation zone if they win their game in hand.

The evening’s outcome was never in doubt from the moment, just one minute and 23 seconds into the game, when van Persie put United in front.

Rafael da Silva’s delivery from the right appeared overhit, but Giggs rescued it by volleying a cushioned cross across goal for the Dutchman to tap in from barely a yard.

A chant of ‘Championey!’ rang out from Old Trafford’s Stretford End as United continued to press, Rafael hitting the post with a crisp strike from 20 yards.

Villa threatened to spoil things when Christian Benteke side-footed over from Andreas Weimann’s pass, only for van Persie to double United’s lead with a strike to rival any goal scored in Europe this season.

Wayne Rooney floated a 40-yard pass behind the Villa defence and van Persie met the ball first-time with a technically immaculate volley from outside the box that rocketed past goalkeeper Brad Guzan and into the net.

On a night rich with symmetry, van Persie’s third goal arrived in the 33rd minute.

Shinji Kagawa freed Giggs, who unselfishly squared to van Persie, and the former Arsenal striker neatly side-stepped Guzan before lifting the ball into the roof of the net.

With 24 goals, United’s £24 million ($37 million, 28 million euros) man now leads Luis Suarez by a goal in the top scorers’ chart, to further blacken the Liverpool striker’s mood after he was charged by the Football Association for biting Chelsea’s Branislav Ivanovic on Sunday.

Van Persie further illustrated his value by heading off the line from Weimann early in the second half, while David de Gea saved smartly from Benteke and Karim El Ahmadi.

Kagawa spurned a glorious chance to make it 4-0 when he blazed over the bar, but by then the match, like the title race, had long been decided.

- © AFP, 2013

As it happened: Manchester United v Aston Villa, Premier League>

VIDEO: Stunning Van Persie strike puts United in control against Villa>

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    Mute samstheman
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    Feb 28th 2019, 6:14 PM

    That’s a lovely bit of news

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    Mute John Connolly
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    Feb 28th 2019, 6:40 PM

    @samstheman: Still bitter I see

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    Mute samstheman
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    Feb 28th 2019, 6:46 PM

    @John Connolly: you’re the expert Johnny boy

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    Mute John Connolly
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    Feb 28th 2019, 6:51 PM

    @samstheman: but you don’t follow a Spanish team and you’re still bitter about Salah getting injured in the final.

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    Mute samstheman
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    Feb 28th 2019, 6:59 PM

    @John Connolly: I’ve been to the Nou Camp several times John. Barcelona countless times. If you’d have asked I’d have told you but you jump in with your assumption buddy

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    Mute Virgil Van Rock
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    Feb 28th 2019, 7:03 PM

    @samstheman: You didn’t even mention Salah, no alot of people like Ramos, particularly Pool Fan’s, similar to United Fan’s dislike for Messi after the merry dance he led them on in not 1 but 2 finals. Pay no attention, real Fan’s don’t care really.

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    Mute samstheman
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    Feb 28th 2019, 7:05 PM

    @Virgil Van Rock: Johnny is just frustrated I’ll let him hit out as he doesn’t like hugs

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    Mute Niall James Fergal McCormack
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    Feb 28th 2019, 7:46 PM

    @Virgil Van Rock: child

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    Mute Seaniecp
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    Feb 28th 2019, 10:04 PM

    @John Connolly: the irony of that John. “But you don’t follow a Spanish team…..” he hasn’t mentioned salah or Liverpool. But you have on an article about a Spanish footballers. Also not following a Spanish team means nothing when we are talking about a player playing in an all European championship here. Nor should that even matter. It’s football related. A sport we like . Get a grip lad. Obsessed

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    Mute Virgil Van Rock
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    Feb 28th 2019, 11:09 PM

    @Seaniecp: Completely, well put.

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    Mute samstheman
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    Feb 28th 2019, 11:20 PM

    @Seaniecp: the cough has been softened on the lad

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    Mute Chris
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    Feb 28th 2019, 6:51 PM

    Should have been given a life sentence for daring to tackle Salah back in May

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    Mute John Connolly
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    Feb 28th 2019, 6:55 PM

    @Chris: Liverpool fans are still complaining about this,Salah dives and Liverpool fans defend him but they signed a petition to replay the final when Ramos fairly tackles him

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    Mute Nigel O'Connor
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    Feb 28th 2019, 8:57 PM

    @John Connolly: Must be great to be you.. any subject remotely related to Liverpool you have the time talk through your hole. I’m delighted Liverpool occupies so much of your peanut brain.

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    Mute David Weston
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    Feb 28th 2019, 8:44 PM

    Nothing but sad saps in here , grow up

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    Mute irishoverseas
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    Feb 28th 2019, 7:19 PM

    Was stupid to admit it. Can’t blame him for doing it. I bet the likes of Scholes, Keane, Nedved, Terry and many more wish they did.

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    Mute Seaniecp
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    Feb 28th 2019, 7:37 PM

    @irishoverseas: true but they may never have reached those finals without them in an earlier match so there wouldn’t be too much point in them over thinking that one.

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    Mute Seaniecp
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    Feb 28th 2019, 7:35 PM

    He gets a two game rest for his efforts. Fair play to him……..

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    Mute Brian Stafford
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    Feb 28th 2019, 10:32 PM

    That’s a bit of a joke really. I know he got himself booked on purpose but that’s just doing the smart thing and ruling himself out for a game he could afford to miss. Yes it’s cheating but you see players cheating in almost every single football game played these days. Diving or feigning injury should be top of their list. These are fully grown men rolling around on the ground, pussies!

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    Mute Johnno Byrne
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    Feb 28th 2019, 9:55 PM

    Ridiculous everyone does it

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    Mute Dave O Keeffe
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    Mar 1st 2019, 12:30 AM

    @Johnno Byrne: yeah and they know it, that’s why it’s only a one game ban. He was already banned for the next game.

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