Robin van Persie bagged a magnificent first-half hat-trick to fire
Manchester United to Premier League title glory with a 3-0 win over
Aston Villa.
Long
since accepted as the summer signing that made the difference, Van
Persie underlined his value by ensuring there was never a chance Aston
Villa might prevent their hosts from collecting the victory required to
celebrate championship number 20 in front of their own fans at Old
Trafford.
Van Persie took just 81 seconds to sweep home Ryan Giggs' knock-back.
Twelve
minutes from the break he profited from more unselfishness from the
veteran Welshman to complete the second three-timer of his United
career.
In between he scored one of the best goals of the entire
campaign as he followed Wayne Rooney's long ball throughout its 50-yard
flight, waited for it to fall out of the sky then smashed a first-time
volley into the corner.
It was the kind of jaw-dropping moment United have not delivered that often this season.
But
as the signature to reclaiming the crown Manchester City prised from
their grasp with virtually the last kick of the previous campaign, it
was perfect.
It confirmed Sir Alex Ferguson's 13th title, and
Giggs' for that matter, equalling on their own the number Arsenal have
won as a club.
For Gunners old-boy Van Persie, at 29, it was
number one. And boy did it show at the final whistle as he raised his
arms on halfway before joining the celebrations that began almost
immediately, even if the trophy presentation has to wait for three
weeks.
The Dutchman's contribution took his tally for the season
to 24, ahead of major rival Luis Suarez in the hunt for the Golden Boot.
Indeed,
it was United as a team who got their teeth into a Villa outfit who
were too loose and afforded their opponents too much room until it was
far too late to create any kind of a contest.
For Villa did not
just have Van Persie to look after, they also needed to subdue Wayne
Rooney. And in that task, they failed miserably.
Again slotted
into a central midfield station alongside Michael Carrick, tonight
Rooney took control, spraying passes around in a manner befitting Paul
Scholes.
The first went arrowing to the corner for Antonio Valencia to hunt down after barely a minute.
Valencia held the ball up and rolled it back to Rafael, whose deep cross found Giggs, and Van Persie did the rest.
It
was part of a blistering start from the champions-elect, in which Van
Persie almost scored again and nearly set up Shinji Kagawa and Rafael
smashed a shot against the post from 20 yards.
Villa were simply
unable to resist. On his 400th United appearance, Rooney launched a
rocket from inside his own half which Van Persie's perfect technique
allowed him to belt into the visitors' goal before it bounced.
In
marvelling at Van Persie's contribution, it was easy to overlook
Rooney's, the kind of moment that made it possible to believe he does
have a future in central midfield.
Van Persie completed his second
United hat-trick, and his first since the August visit to Southampton,
when Giggs broke through and elected to slip a pass inside rather than
go for goal himself.
If there were any lingering doubts, that
effort killed them, Van Persie's touchline joke with fellow Dutchman
Alexander Buttner as he made his way towards the tunnel at half-time
proving the hosts felt their work was done.
It showed in their
second-half display too as Villa, acutely aware of the damage to their
own relegation battle a heavy defeat could inflict, gamely went hunting a
consolation.
Yet even here, Van Persie was the prominent figure, heading a goalbound Andreas Weimann effort off the line.
Christian
Benteke should have scored, after Rooney had gifted Villa possession
close to his own penalty area, but David de Gea repelled that attempt.
United
briefly roused themselves only for Rooney to fire over from 20 yards.
Kagawa also failed to find the target when he only had Brad Guzan to
beat after a superb first touch.
Really though, the hosts were
counting down to the final whistle, as were their supporters, who spent
the second half paying homage to a succession of past players who have
contributed to previous successes.
Their focus switched when
referee Anthony Taylor brought the evening to an end though, and Van
Persie was the man they owed most thanks to.
