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Friday, 27 April, 2001, 08:46 GMT 09:46 UK
Man Utd: Road to seventh heaven
Dwight Yorke celebrates against Arsenal
Manchester United proved to be unstoppable yet again
BBC Sport Online looks back at another great season for seven-time Premiership champions Manchester United.

Like birthdays, Christmas, Valentine's and so on, it seems to happen every year.

The occasion? Manchester United winning the Premiership.

Once again the red machine has cantered to the title virtually unchallenged.

Arsenal have failed to find enough consistency, while Liverpool and Leeds have not been able to transform their great success on the European stage, to the weekly grind of the league.

The other 19 teams in the Premiership could do nothing but admire the way Sir Alex Ferguson instilled a desire and passion in a team, which has been carefully cultivated for over a decade.

This season has been no different. BBC Sport Online looks back on how Manchester United soared to an unprecedented seventh Premiership title.

Click here for August 2000 review
Click here for September 2000 review
Click here for October 2000 review
Click here for November 2000 review
Click here for December 2000 review
Click here for January 2001 review
Click here for February 2001 review
Click here for March 2001 review
Click here for April 2001 review


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August 2000

New season, same old Manchester United.

Gary Speed and Ryan Giggs
Newcastle were the first victims
Except they had a different goalkeeper is the guise of Frenchman Fabien Barthez, who signed in the close season for £7.8m - a British record fee for a shotstopper.

Bobby Robson's Newcastle were the champions' first opponents at a packed 67,000 Old Trafford.

Goals from defender Ronny Johnsen and Magpies old boy Andy Cole gave the Red Devils the perfect start.

Click here for Newcastle match report

But Sir Alex's team were soon to suffer an early blip in their challenge when they were held to a 1-1 draw by a, then, "plucky" Ipswich side.

Another draw against West Ham followed, this time Paolo di Canio inspiring the Hammers' come back from a two-goal deficit.


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September 2000

Bradford became the first victims of a United thrashing when they went down 6-0 at Old Trafford - marked by a superb strike by marksman of the season Teddy Sheringham.

Sunderland, who caused United so many problems the previous season, lost 3-0 in a another Sheringham-inspired performance.

Goodison Park saw United rattle in another three, but the game will be remembered for Wes Brown's first start in a red shirt after injury had sidelined him for 17 months.

Arguably the first classic game of the Premiership season saw Chelsea peg back the champions in a 3-3 thriller.

Click here for Chelsea match report

United established a 3-1 lead before Tore Andre Flo took advantage of poor goalkeeping by stand-in Raimond van der Gouw and then added a second for a deserved draw.


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October 2000

Ferguson's men suffered their first Premiership defeat of the season when a spectacular Thierry Henry effort dumfounded Barthez to give Arsenal the points at Highbury.

Thierry Henry
Henry submitted his entry for 'goal of the season'
Click here for Arsenal match report

But a Sheringham double soon put the Red Devils back on track as they romped to a 3-0 win at Leicester.

Leeds, who were considered as serious title contenders after their superb 1999/2000 season, slumped to a 3-0 defeat.

And United made it eight goals in two games when they thrashed Southampton 5-0, with Sherringham hitting his first United hat-trick.


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November 2000

United made hard work of beating Coventry at Highfield Road, but goals from Cole and a David Beckham free-kick were enough despite a Ysrael Zuniga effort late on.

The pre-match build up to the Middlesbrough game was of more interest than the game itself, when captain Roy Keane launched a scathing attack on the "prawn sandwich" brigade amongst the United fans.

The 2-1 victory at Old Trafford meant that the Red Devils had gone 35 home games without defeat.

The first Manchester derby since 1996 was a tight affair which was settled by David Beckham free-kick.

Click here for Manchester City match report

The champions rounded off the month with a 3-0 win over Derby.


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December 2000

Super-sub Ole Gunnar Solskjaer made a late appearance to put the icing on the cake in a 2-0 win over Spurs.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer
Solskjaer showed his prowess as a super sub
United played in their second 3-3 thriller of the season when Charlton, inspired by Shaun Bartlett, shocked the Premiership favourites and in turn ended their own losing streak.

There has never been a December month in the Premiership which has passed without seeing a truly brilliant contest.

Liverpool's 1-0 win over United prevented the Old Trafford side from equalling the run of 36 unbeaten home League games set in the 1960s by a team including George Best, Bobby Charlton and Dennis Law.

The winner came from a Danny Murphy free-kick.

Click here for Liverpool match report

United's players put that defeat out of their minds with wins over Ipswich and Villa.

A draw at Newcastle kept the Red Devils at the top of the Premiership at the turn of the year - an ominous sign for the chasing pack who were led by Arsenal, 11-points adrift.


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January 2001

United completed their run of matches during the festive period with a 3-1 win over West Ham.

Fergie's men dominated a game which saw a Phil Neville effort go in - although the strike was awarded to Hammers defender Stuart Pearce, having taken a slight deflection on its way past Shaka Hislop.

Click here for West Ham match report

Bradford were the latest victims of a rampant United who welcomed back Jaap Stam to the centre of defence after a four-month layoff.

City looked set to earn a point until Bantams 'keeper Gary Walsh mis-kicked a backpass to let Sheringham in.

Wins against Villa and Sunderland followed either side of a 1-0 defeat to West Ham at Old Trafford which saw the favourites bow out of the FA Cup.


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February 2001

Andy Cole signed a new four-year contract and celebrated it in style with a deflected effort which handed United a 1-0 win at home to Everton.

David Seaman
Bad day at the office for Arsenal keeper David Seaman
Chelsea proved tough opposition again when they held United, with Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink capitalising on a misplaced header from Paul Scholes to 'keeper Van der Gouw.

But it was that man Cole again, who was fed by Ryan Giggs for the equaliser.

The shock result of the season came at the end of the month when Arsenal all but gave up on the championship by capitulating to a 6-1 defeat at Old Trafford.

Click here for Arsenal match report

Dwight Yorke, who had had an up-and-down season to date, helped himself to a hat-trick.


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March 2001

Leeds made the Red Devils work hard at the start of the month holding the Premiership leaders to a 1-1 draw.

New find of the season, Luke Chadwick, gave Manchester United the lead before Mark Viduka powered in a header six minutes from time.

After a 2-0 win against Leicester, United had a chance to gain revenge of Liverpool at Anfield.

Click here for Liverpool match report

But the Old Trafford side caught the Reds on a good day as they went down 2-0 - goals coming from Steven Gerrard and Robbie Fowler.

Liverpool recorded their first double over United since 1978.


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April 2001

The loss to Liverpool was a minor glitch as Ferguson's men took themselves to within one win of the Premiership title with a 2-1 victory against Charlton.

Once again it was Solskjaer, coming on as a substitute, who grabbed the all important winner minutes from the end in a match dominated by United.

And then it was the turn of Coventry to stem the red tide on Easter Saturday. The Premiership strugglers took a shock lead, and battled to the final whistle, but United were just too strong.

United's 4-2 win, coupled with Arsenal's dismal home defeat by Boro, gave Old Trafford its seventh title in nine years.

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