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| May 5, 2003 | Monday | Rabi-ul-Awwal 2, 1424 |
United win title as Arsenal crash
LONDON, May 4: Arsenal’s reign as English league champions and their hopes of an unprecedented back-to-back FA Cup and League double ended on Sunday when they crashed 3-2 at home to Leeds United at Highbury.
Mark Viduka scored the winner in the 88th minute, the result meaning Manchester United were crowned English champions for 15th time without playing.
Arsenal had to win to keep alive their hopes of retaining their title on Sunday but now on 72 points with two matches remaining, cannot overhaul new champions Manchester United who have 80 points with one match to play.
Leeds, who with the victory are now safe from the threat of relegation, went ahead in the fifth minute at Highbury with a stunning goal.
Jason Wilcox set Harry Kewell up with a high, long pass from inside his own half down the Arsenal left.
The Australian chested the ball down, evaded the attentions of the chasing Arsenal defenders and lashed the ball with his left foot across the despairing David Seaman and into the side-netting on the far side of the England keeper’s goal.
Arsenal equalised after 30 minutes when a 25-metre drive from midfielder Ray Parlour was deflected on to the post by Leeds keeper Paul Robinson, only for the lurking Thierry Henry to head the rebound into the empty net for his 23rd league goal of the season.
Leeds regained the lead two minutes into the second half from an Ian Harte free-kick.
Harte’s whipped kick took a slight double-deflection off Ashley Cole and Silva, but it was enough to put the ball past Seaman and put Leeds 2-1 up.
With both teams having everything to play for the game switched from end to end, and Arsenal’s pressure paid off after 63 minutes when a swift move involving Henry, Pires and Bergkamp ended with the Dutchman firing into the net.
Arsenal, without suspended Sol Campbell and injured Patrick Vieira and Freddie Ljungberg, went close to a winner when Henry hit the post after 76 minutes.
But Mark Viduka had the final say with a shot from the edge of the box with less than two minutes to play.—Reuters
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