The First 11...Manchester United Matches

The 11 games that have defined Manchester United's dominance since the inception of the Premier League.

When the Premier League kicked off in 1992, a renewed sense of optimism swept across football in England. The pains of the mid-80's where starting to heal, the national team had performed well in Italia 90' and the threat of a breakaway league to compete with Europe's elite had been realised. For all the positivity, few could have imagined that within a decade, England would boast the richest, most watched and most exciting league in Europe, featuring many of the greatest talents in the world. By the end of its 17th season, the Premier League would be the envy of Serie A, the Bundesliga and La Liga with an pre-eminence in Champion's League, the jewel of European Football.For all that the likes of Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea have achieved in recent times, it is Manchester United that have lead the charge. They have paved the way to profitability and were the first to fully exploit the marketability of a Premiership team. In reality, their accomplishments off the field may well have propelled them to the state they are in as much than anything they have done on the field but without the following, their dynasty would not be as strong or perhaps not have endured to this point.

11. Man Utd 1 - 1 Necaxa, World Club Championship 2000
Man Utd eschewed the 1999-00 FA Cup in favour of travelling to Brazil for the 2000 FIFA Club World Championship. The game against Necaxa itself was fairly dour, Dwight Yorke salvaged a draw with ten minutes remaining, and the event itself was somewhat of disaster for United (outplayed by Vasco da Gama and outcast by the English media for participating). But which other English side would have even left for the tournament? No other English side were close to winning the Champions League before United did so and no other had such a global face that required presenting thousands of miles away.

10. Man Utd 4 - 0 Chelsea, FA Cup 1994
United won their first ever double and became only the fourth ever club to do so. They lead the league most of the way but this result proved their ascendancy domestically. Three goals in nine second half minutes (Two from Cantona, one from Hughes plus a late addition by Brian McClair) effectively finished the tie and bought Man U their 8th FA Cup. Perhaps the goal scored by Mark Hughes in the dying minutes of their semi-final against Oldham Athletic was just as valuable.

9. Everton 2 - 4 Man Utd, Premier League 2007
The scene: Chelsea have won the last two league championships. United have not been close to league success for three seasons and have not been beyond the second round of the Champions League during this period (including an embarrassing campaign the year before when they finished bottom of their group). Many sections of support contend that Sir Alex Ferguson is no longer the man for the job and that United's time has come and gone. The 2006-07' season would offer their redemption; they made the Champions League semis (only beaten by an inspired Milan side) and were back in contention for the Premier League crown. United would go on to win the league title by six points but after dropping five points in their last three games, they fell 2-0 down to a dangerous Everton team and it seemed, just for a few minutes, that United would once again succumb and that Chelsea, who they still had to play at Stamford Bridge, could win their third straight title (a feat only accomplished by Man Utd in the Premiership). Goals from John O' Shea, Wayne Rooney, Chris Eagles and an own goal by stalwart Phil Neville won the game and, more importantly, returned the momentum not just in that title race, but in the balance of power in domestic football.

8. Newcastle 0 - 1 Man Utd, Premier League 1996
Eric Cantona's goal shortened Newcastle's lead to one point and United would go on to win the title on the final day. The champions followed up with FA Cup success and did all this with kids. The season will be best remembered for the emergence of the likes of Beckham, Scholes, Butt and the Neville brothers that would form the foundation of the treble winning team of 1999.

7. Man Utd 0 - 1 Arsenal, Premier League 1998
United were cruising towards another championship until Arsene Wenger's renegade Arsenal side ruined the party. Marc Overmars' goal at Old Trafford bought them within six points of United with three games in hand and would go on to win the league and cup double. United went on to spend lavishly the following summer in the wake of their failing in addition to the renewed competition and the signings of Jaap Stam and Dwight Yorke in particular reinforced the team. This, along with the maturation of the team's younger players, provided Sir Alex Ferguson with the squad to compete at the highest level.

6. Aston Villa 0 - 1 Oldham Athletic, Premier League 1993
The Premier League's opening season saw the arrival of Eric Cantona and the appointment of Steve Bruce as captain of Manchester United. United won the league as Aston Villa, who lead the league for much of the season, fell to Oldham at home and Alex Ferguson was informed of the club's first League title in 26 years. United almost certainly would have won the championship in one of their remaining three games but it was Villa's defeat that got the ball rolling on the most enduring domination of the English top flight.

5. Barcelona 4 - 0 Man Utd, Champions League 1994
In less than two weeks, these two teams will meet for the richest prize in European football. 15 years ago, they met in the group stage of the 94-95' Champions League at the Camp Nou. Barcelona, lead by the likes of Romario and Stoichkov, taught United a lesson as they played them off the pitch in Catalunya and Man Utd were eliminated in the group stage. A low point in a disappointing season for the Red Devils was a harsh but important lesson in their journey to European victory.

4. Man Utd 0 - 0 Arsenal, Premier League 2009
The home draw with the Gunners was far from their best performance of a long and triumphant season and the match itself will soon be forgotten by most. However, the success of English clubs has always been measured in league championships and for all the victories in cup competitions whether at home or abroad, United have trailed one team in particular ever since the Premier League began, until now. The final whistle brought with it a record-tying 18th league title, a record that had been held by United's biggest rivals, Liverpool. 11 league titles in 17 seasons, in the modern era that the Premier League ushered in, is the definition of domination.

3. Bayer Leverkusen 1 - 1 Man Utd, Champions League 2002
Sir Alex had announced his retirement for the end of the 2001-02 campaign, focusing on the 2002 Champions League Final at Hampden Park as his swansong. Unfortunately for Man Utd, they finished the season without a title after losing to Arsenal at home towards the end of the season and succumbed on away goals to Leverkusen. A 2-2 draw at Old Trafford was followed up by a 1-1 draw at the BayArena (United had lead in both legs) and the European dream was over for another year. There is no doubting that Sir Alex is the key component behind the success of this team over the last twenty-odd years and the renewed motivation taken from Manchester United's defeats and failings have been pivotal in their subsequent successes. Even if United had won the Champions League in 2002, Ferguson may well have stayed but had he left, the recent history of this club could have been greatly different.

2. Man Utd 1 - 1 Chelsea, Champions League 2008
The second Champions League victory was the materialisation of nine years trying to climb back to the mountain top. Premier League titles have come with apparent ease and regularity but the Champions League had eluded Ferguson ever since their crowning moment in Barcelona. United eased through the group stage and were only mildly troubled on their way to Moscow, where they met the team that had changed the face of the domestic game forever. Abramovic and his millions had transformed Chelsea into perennial domestic and European title contenders and presented the most threat to United's domination. Virtue of their victory 6-5 on penalties (and John Terry's unfortunate slip), Manchester United regained their European crown and once again shut the door on Chelsea, as they had done in the league that season and the one previous.

1. Man Utd 2 - 1 Bayern Munich, Champions League 1999
The proudest moment in the club's magnificent history. They went undefeated in the final 33 games of the season in all competitions, made it a habit of winning matches after going behind, became the most profitable club in the world and, oh yeah, won the league, FA cup and Champions League, being the first English side to complete such a treble. 10 days after securing the League Title with a 2-1 victory over Tottenham, they were part of probably the most amazing comeback in recent memory; one down and being outplayed by a very capable Bayern Munich team in front of 90,000 in Barcelona, United refused to lose and injury time goals from instant heroes Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer won the game on the birthday of Sir Matt Busby, the only other United manager to lift the trophy. They went unbeaten in the Champions League that year, facing many of Europe's best (Barcelona didn't even make it out of the group stage, Juventus seemed to have United's number in the semis only to experience first hand United's resilience as they fought back in Turin - A match that itself would make this list if not for the events of the final) and playing the kind of direct, attacking football which has become their trademark. The third part of the treble had been completed days earlier when Newcastle were beaten 2-0 at Wembley but it was Ryan Giggs' goal in the last ever semi-final replay against their biggest rivals at the time, Arsenal, that fuelled the emotion and 'destiny' that culminated in Barcelona that year.Interestingly, the top three featured on this list are all European fixtures. While this should indicate the importance of the Champions League to the fans, players and manager of Manchester United, it also highlights their level of dominance on the domestic game and the almost automatic nature of their success. United have become a European powerhouse and may well secure another trophy in the days to come but for all they have done abroad, it is in the Premier League where nobody can doubt their status, as England’s premier team.