- Fletcher (31), Giggs (38), Higginbotham (54 og), Park (84)
- Date:2010-05-09
- Kick-off:16:00
- Venue:Old Trafford
- Attendance:75316
- Referee:Clattenburg, M
Live Commentary
90mins
Full Time: MAN UTD 4-0 STOKE: It was a comfortable victory with goals from Fletcher, Giggs and Park in addition to an own goal from Higginbotham. However, Chelsea's 8-0 victory over Wigan means the Premier League title goes to Stamford Bridge.
90mins
Park is brought down on the edge of the Stoke area. Giggs' tries to take it quickly and catch Begovic out, but it's straight at the Stoke keeper.
88mins
The game is being played at a really slow pace now as we head towards injury time.
84mins
MAN UTD 4-0 STOKE. Giggs' left-wing corner is almost met by Nani at the near post. Macheda misses it in the centre and in comes PARK to head home at the far post from eight yards.
84mins
Evra races down the left and earns a corner for United. Both sets of players look like they'd be happy if the game ended right now at a very quiet Old Trafford.
82mins
The crowd at Old Trafford is really subdued now as we head towards the final whistle with the news of a Didier Drogba hat-trick and seventh goal for Chelsea.
81mins
United are just looking to play a bit of keep-ball now and slow the pace of the game down.
80mins
The ball goes out of play for a United throw and Vidic picks up a yellow card for an earlier spat with Ricardo Fuller.
77mins
It looks like Stoke are having a bit of a late rally here. Pugh brings out another fine stop from Van Der Sar and he curls one left-footed from 25 yards which is heading towards the top corner but for the intervention of the Dutch keeper.
77mins
Man Utd substitution: Final change of the afternoon and off comes Wayne Rooney and he'll be replaced by Park once the Korean is ready to come on.
76mins
Good run from Nani down the right and his cross earns United a corner.
74mins
Stoke attack down the left and Delap gets on the end of a cross, heads it goalwards and brings out a fine save from Van Der Sar high to his left.
74mins
The game has become a little scrappy since the substitutions and it's now in dager of peter out like many final day matches do.
71mins
Half-hearted claims for a United penalty. Rooney breaks forward down the right. He squares it for Macheda who goes down under the challenge of Huth and Shawcross. I've seen them given, but it would have been a little soft.
71mins
Rooney moves forward and plays it for Macheda. Macheda tries to get it back to Rooney but gets his feet caught up and loses possession.
69mins
Chelsea now have a sixth against Wigan and it's Drogba again. Wayne Rooney will need two goals in the final 20 minutes if he's going to get a share of this season's golden boot.
67mins
Stoke substitution: Collins comes on for Higginbotham in a triple switch for Tony Pulis.
67mins
Stoke substitution: Pugh also makes an entrance in place of Sidibe.
67mins
Stoke substitution: Diao comes on in place of Whitehead.
66mins
Didier Drogba has just bagged a fifth goal for Chelsea and he now moves in front of Wayne Rooney in the golden boot race. Can Rooney get on the scoresheet himself in the final 24 minutes.
65mins
Gibson lines up his first long-range effort of the afternoon, but it squirms off of a defender and out for a United corner.
64mins
Almost 4-0 and what a goal that would have been. It was a beautiful pass into the path of Nani. He gets the ball out of his feet well with his first touch and fires towards the bottom corner with left foot, but Begovic gets down well to save.
62mins
Man Utd substitution: It's a double change from the home side and on comes young striker Federico Macheda to replace Dimitar Berbatov after another disappointing afternoon in front of goal.
62mins
Man Utd substitution: That will be Scholes' last contribution as he is replaced by Darron Gibson.
61mins
Great tackle and run by Scholes. He gets to the edge of the area and tries to chip it beyond Begovic, but the ball drifts wide of the far post.
59mins
United may be going out with a bang at Old Trafford this afternoon but their efforts will all be for nothing this afternoon. Chelsea have bagged two goals in quick succession and they now lead 4-0 at home to Wigan.
57mins
Scholes brings down Whitehead just inside the Stoke half and he receives the yellow card.
54mins
MAN UTD 3-0 STOKE. Great turn and cross by Rooney from the left corner of the six-yard box and HIGGINBOTHAM comes sliding in to divert the ball into his own net off the underside of the bar.
53mins
Nani does well down the right but his near post cross is cut out by the dive of Begovic and he shows his frustration that none of his team mates made a run across the near post.
52mins
This second half has been understandably a little flat with neither side now looking to have much to play for in this final 45 minutes of the season.
50mins
Decent looking ball into the Stoke area from Nani looks to pick out Rooney, but Delap comes in and heads back to Begovic.
49mins
Neville concedes a corner on the left under pressure from Etherington. It's been a decent start from the visitors to this second half.
47mins
Delap launches another right-side throw into this United box. Shawcross gets his head to it, but the ball loops up comfortably for Van Der Sar.
46mins
Delap aims a long throw-in into the United box from the right. The ball is cleared back out to him, but his cross on the volley flashes past everyone and away for a United throw on the far side of the pitch.
46mins
The visitors start the second half.
45mins
Half Time: MAN UTD 2-0 STOKE. Goals from Fletcher and Giggs have given United a comfortable half-time lead in a one-sided game, but the title looks to be heading to Stamford Bridge with Chelsea also leading 2-0 against ten-man Wigan.
45mins
First save of the match for Van Der Sar and he does well to keep Stoke from pulling a goal back. Fuller turns and shoots left-footed from 10 yards but Van Der Sar gets down well to his left and saves.
45mins
There will be just one minute of added time at the end of the half.
43mins
Tony Pulis has done a fine job of improving Stoke's point's tally this season, but they don't look to have much more to give this afternoon. They've been second best all over the pitch and United could chalk up a big win to round off the season.
43mins
Rooney so nearly makes it 3-0. He gets in on the right side of the area, cuts in on his left and shoots, but Huth does well to get a block in and prevent the ball from going goalwards.
42mins
Fine flick from Berbatov allows Nani to get away down the right but his near post cross is disappointing and goes straight to Begovic.
40mins
Intricate play from United on the edge of the Stoke area and they almost work the ball in for Nani, but Huth does well to snuff out the danger.
38mins
MAN UTD 2-0 STOKE. Fine goal from United and this looks over already. Rooney plays it left to Berbatov. He does well to go past his man and find GIGGS in the middle and he makes no mistake slotting home from 12 yards left footed.
34mins
Neville plays a neat one-two with Berbatov on the right side of the penalty area, but the full-back not renowned for his goalscoring ability tries a cute flick and it's an easy save for Begovic.
32mins
Just as it looks like United might just have got themselves back in the title race Wigan have been reduced to 10-men and Lampard has converted the penalty to give Chelsea a two-goal lead.
31mins
MAN UTD 1-0 STOKE. The corner comes in from the left. Vidic heads goalwards and the ball is deflected into the path of FLETCHER who finds the roof of the net from one yard out.
30mins
Great play from Nani and Rooney releases Fletcher down the right. He crosses low and Shawcross does well to slide in and divert the ball behind for a corner.
28mins
Great one-two from Evra and Giggs on the left edge of the Stoke box and Giggs earns a corner for United.
25mins
United appear to be getting a little rushed with the ball in the last few minutes. Ferdinand is the latest to look for an ambitious through ball and gives away possession.
22mins
Great cross from Nani and Berbatov hits the top of the bar with a header from eight yards. He does better than with his first effort, but he really should score from those sort of chances.
21mins
It really has been pretty much one-way traffic in this opening 20 minutes, with Unied doing the majority of the pressing. They haven't really threatened the Stoke goal as much as they'd have liked though.
19mins
Fuller turns 25 yards out and tries a shot, but he scuffs it badly and it rolls harmlessly through to Van Der Sar.
18mins
The Stoke man stays down from that block and needs some treatment, but it looks as though he'll be able to continue.
17mins
Great run by Evra gets him into the box. He cuts in onto his right foot and shoots, but Higginbotham throws himself in bravely to prevent Evra from scoring.
16mins
Delap takes the throw-in which looks to come off of the head of Vidic for a corner, but the referee awards United a goal-kick.
16mins
Stoke try to come forward on the attack with Fuller. He plays it forward into the left corner for Etherington to chase and he earns a throw-in which Delap will launch into the United box.
14mins
Scholes sprays a decent looking cross-field ball forward for Rooney out on the left, but it's just overhit and the ball goes out for a throw-in.
13mins
Giggs plays the ball into Nani 30 yards from goal but his speculative effort sails well over for a goal-kick.
11mins
Great chance for United but the out of form Berbatov can't find the target. Nani plays in a lovely cross from the left, but Berbatov coming in at the far post heads over from five yards.
10mins
Sidibe brings down Scholes 30 yards from goal just left of centre. It might be just outside of shooting range but Nani is lining one up.
8mins
Nani breaks down the right but his pass for Fletcher on the overlap is poor and Huth comes in to blast the ball against the United man and it goes behind for a goal-kick.
7mins
The crowd at Old Trafford has just got news of a goal for Chelsea at Stamford Bridge. Unless Wigan can score now the title will be heading for London regardless of what United do hear.
6mins
Fine break again by United and Wilkinson is forced into deflecting the ball wide for a corner from Berbatov's shot.
5mins
United break quickly with Nani. He finds Rooney inside the area, who twists away from his man and crosses left footed. Berbatov gets a shot off but it's charged down and Stoke clear.
4mins
Stoke have a free-kick out on the right 40 yard from goal. The ball is played into the United area and Berbatov is forced to head behind for a corner.
3mins
Early pressure from United. Nani gets down the right and crosses, but it gets cut out. The ball gets worked out again to the left and Evra's low cross is cleared.
2mins
Scholes flies in with Whelan just inside the Stoke half and the visitors have a free-kick. Scholes gets a brief ticking off from referee Mark Clattenburg.
1mins
It's a really noisy atmospehere at Old Trafford, with the home fans really trying to get behind the United players.
1mins
The home side get this game underway at an expectant Old Trafford.
0mins
If Stoke do finish 10th, their current position, it will be their best top flight finish since 1975 when they finished fifth.
0mins
Stoke, however, have the worst away scoring record in the top flight along with Portsmouth (10), coupled with United having the best defensive record in the division, conceding only 28 in 37 games.
0mins
United have beaten Stoke in nine of the last 11 meetings, each time the Potters have failed to score. In the other two matches when Stoke have scored they've won the match.
0mins
Tony Pulis saw his team improve on last season's 45 point total with a win at Fulham in midweek, but he'll be desperate to avoid a repeat of their recent away visit to Stamford Bridge when Chelsea put seven past them.
0mins
Alex Ferguson's have won three of their last four titles on the final day of the season. However, on each of those occasions they were in the driving seat. A win for Chelsea at home to Wigan this afternoon and the title goes to the Blues.
0mins
Wayne Rooney and Rio Ferdinand both start for United, but winger Antonio Valencia misses out through injury.
0mins
The champions head into the final match of the season knowing that only a win is good enough to give them any hopes of a record fourth consecutive title and their 19th in total.
0mins
Stoke City team line-up: Begovic, Wilkinson, Shawcross, Huth, Higginbotham, Delap, Whitehead, Whelan, Etherington, Sidibe, Fuller
0mins
Manchester United team line-up: Van der Sar, Neville, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra, Nani, Fletcher, Scholes, Giggs, Berbatov, Rooney
Match Preview
Manchester United must beat Stoke City at Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon and hope Chelsea slip up against Wigan Athletic if they are to secure a record-breaking fourth successive Premier League title, but the odds are definitely stacked against Sir Alex Ferguson's men.
Last month's 2-1 home loss to Carlo Ancelotti's team was always going to be a pivotal game and so it has proved with United going into the final weekend of the season just one point behind the Blues.
It looks increasingly likely that United will have to settle for just the Carling Cup in their trophy cabinet this season though, but it has been another enjoyable campaign for most United fans with Wayne Rooney coming to the fore in the post-Cristiano Ronaldo era.
However, the fortnight in late March and early April which saw them slump to Champions League defeat against Bayern Munich and draw with Blackburn as well as lose to Chelsea in the Premier League appears to have been crucial.
It has been another memorable season for Stoke who have secured a second successive mid-table finish following their promotion at the end of the 2007-08 campaign.
However, there have been signs of dissension within the ranks recently with James Beattie, Tuncay and Dave Kitson all publicly rebuked by boss Tony Pulis. All three players look set to be plying their trade away from the Britannia Stadium next term.
The recent 7-0 capitulation at Chelsea hinted that some Potters players may already have one eye on their summer holidays and the goals have certainly dried up since Pulis' side secured successive victories over West Ham United and Hull City just over a month ago, although they did win 1-0 at Fulham on Wednesday.
Gary Neville (calf), Danny Welbeck (knee), Michael Owen (hamstring) and Anderson (cruciate knee ligaments) are all sidelined for United, while Stoke will be without Amady Faye (groin) and goalkeeper Thomas Sorensen (arm). Amir Begovic is once again expected to deputise for the Danish shot-stopper.
Stoke have won seven of their 44 matches at United but were hammered 5-0 at Old Trafford last season with Ronaldo scoring twice while Michael Carrick, Dimitar Berbatov and Welbeck were also on the scoresheet.
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Match Report
There may not be a new Premier for the country just yet, but there are now new Premier League champions after Manchester United's 4-0 win against Stoke City proved to be in vain.
United failed in their attempt for an historic fourth consecutive Premier League title as, with football as in politics, England changed from red to blue.
Sir Alex Ferguson's team were clear favourites to beat the Potters at Old Trafford, but it was always highly unlikely that Wigan would stop a Chelsea victory at home, and so it proved.
United finished only a point behind the Londoners - a not inconsiderable feat after the loss of stars Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Teves last summer.
It proved to be that a fourth title was a Stamford Bridge too far with Chelsea also scoring a century of goals and Didier Drogba beating Wayne Rooney for the golden boot award.
United took the lead in the 31st minute. Ryan Giggs' corner was met by the head of Nemanja Vidic 12 yards out and, although Andy Wilkinson blocked his effort and Robert Huth denied Rooney's follow-up, Darren Fletcher buried the ball in the back of the net right footed from close range.
Seven minutes later it was 2-0. Dimitar Berbatov brushed aside Wilkinson as he cut into the Stoke box from the left and his low cross to Giggs saw the Welshman fire his left-footed shot home from 12 yards with the ball going in underneath the body of goalkeeper Asmir Begovic.
The contest was effectively over, but United added a third goal nine minutes after the interval.
Fletcher found Rooney on the left side of the Stoke penalty area and his low cross was hammered into the back of his own net from six yards by former United defender Danny Higginbotham.
That was the 11th own goal United have benefited from this season.
United's final goal came six minutes from the end of normal time when Ji-Sung Park scored with a spectacular diving header from Giggs' corner six yards out on the far post.
United goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar made spectacular saves from Ricardo Fuller, Rory Delap and Danny Pugh, but there was to be only a consolation prize for United on the last day of the season.
Manchester United Team
Stoke City Team
Manchester United | Stoke City |
Corners
| 10 | 2 |
Fouls
| 11 | 5 |
Goal attempts
| 12 | 7 |
Shots off target
| 5 | 1 |
Offsides
| 2 | 3 |




90mins
There will be just one minute of added time at the end of this match.