The Dominance of United - The 2000-01 Premier League Title Race

Manchester United had won the Treble. They’d followed it by winning the league by 18 points. Surely they couldn’t get even better?

They could.

In this episode of The Games That Decided the Season, we return to 2000/01, as Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United chase a third successive Premier League title — and proceed to blow away almost everyone who tries to stop them.

Arsenal remain their closest established rivals, while Liverpool and a hugely exciting Leeds side continue to develop. But by the middle of the season, United are disappearing into the distance.

We revisit the games that demonstrated just how far ahead Ferguson’s side had become — culminating in the extraordinary 6–1 demolition of Arsenal at Old Trafford, when United were 5–1 up before half-time and effectively ended any lingering hopes of a title race.

With Beckham, Giggs, Scholes, Keane, Cole, Yorke, Sheringham and Solskjær, this was a United squad overflowing with attacking options — and seemingly capable of destroying opponents from anywhere.

United eventually secured the title with five games still to play, becoming only the fourth club in English football history to win three consecutive league championships.

So was the 6–1 destruction of Arsenal the game that decided the 2000/01 Premier League title — or had Ferguson’s champions already broken the chasing pack long before then?

This is The Final Countdown — football history and nostalgia, as we look back at the games where an entire season changed.