FINAL 90 TO DECIDE THE TITLE
Man Utd 2
Tottenham 1
Beckham 44 Cole 47 PL, May 16, 1999, Old Trafford Att: 55,189
Ferdinand 24
WHETHER Manchester United or Arsenal would go into the new millennium as the Premier League champions would all be decided by the final 90 minutes of the 1998-99 season.
If United beat Spurs, they would lift the trophy for the fifth time in seven years. But if they slipped up, and Arsenal beat Aston Villa, Arsene Wenger’s Gunners would retain it.
United went into the last day one point ahead and with a superior goal difference – of just a single goal.
The nail-biting climax gave United the chance to win the crown at Old Trafford for the first time – and there were Spurs supporters who would have rather seen that than have Arsenal as the title-holders.
Spurs were hoping for 10th place, and Les Ferdinand stunned Old Trafford by opening the scoring in the 24th minute, smartly lifting the ball over keeper Peter Schmeichel with the outside of his right boot.
Arsenal-villa was still goalless, but the Gunners had all the title-race momentum – until just before the break when David Beckham swept a stunning right-foot shot into the top corner after being teed up by Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes.
Alex Ferguson made a change at half-time, bringing on Andy Cole for Teddy Sheringham, and Cole turned a half-chance into the goal that secured the title.
Gary Neville lofted the ball into the Tottenham penalty area, tempting Ian Walker from his line. Cole spotted where the keeper was and said he “instinctively tossed a lob up, caught it perfectly on the instep and it just bounced into the back of the net”. Old Trafford erupted in celebration. But news then broke that Nwankwo Kanu had given Arsenal the lead at Highbury in the 66th minute, meaning a Tottenham equaliser now would snatch the crown for their north London rivals.
It never came. And pitchside microphones picked up Ferguson’s yelp of joy at the final whistle, with Beckham and Scholes sinking to their knees in the centre circle.