Manchester United are champions for a 20th time as the club's unparalleled hegemony under Sir Alex Ferguson continues.
Their latest title win is the 13th in 20 years and comes two decades on from Ferguson's first, when he ended the Reds' 26-year wait after Liverpool's dominance in the 70s and 80s.
Here are the 10 key moments from United's 2012-13 championship win:
Manchester United are champions: 10 key moments
Robin van Persie signs(01 of10)
The comparisons with Eric Cantona were inevitable, but Robin van Persie has emerged as Sir Alex Ferguson's latest talisman. Ferguson spoke to Arsène Wenger personally - a signal of his desire to sign Van Persie - and spoke of his relief that the Dutchman would no longer feature in opposition team talks.Signed for £24m, he rejected Manchester City's £300,000 a week offer in favour of staying red and he has hitherto scored 27 goals for United.Wearing number 20, he has won title 20, while his goals have earned United 20 points. (credit:Getty Images)
What is love? Robin van Persie (September)(02 of10)
Although it was the third successive game United had trailed their opponents first, victory at Southampton was so significant because it seemed so unlikely.Nigel Adkins' Saints had given a rudderless United the run around until Paul Scholes was introduced. That, coupled with Adkins substituting his three best players, allowed United back into the game and Van Persie - who had an atrocious penalty saved at 1-2 - equalised with three minutes to spare.The inevitable came deep into stoppage-time when the Dutchman flicked in Nani's corner for a hat-trick on just his second United start and three crucial points. United's knack for comebacks can never be underestimated, by they had to do it so often between August and December, with Van Persie's first treble fuelling the belief. (credit:Getty Images)
Winning at Stamford Bridge (October)(03 of10)
United had not won at Chelsea in the Premier League in over 10 years but ended the rut in October in controversial fashion. Chelsea, top of the table, had fought back from 2-0 down to level, only for Branislav Ivanović and Fernando Torres to be sent off.Javier Hernández, whose knack for vital winners has not diminished this season, tapped in an offside winner which had major repercussions for United's hosts.Incensed at the manner of the defeat, Chelsea falsely accused referee Mark Clattenburg of racially abusing John Obi Mikel, Roberto di Matteo was sacked less than a month later and Chelsea did not win again in the league until December. United's victory in west London had instigated Chelsea's annual autumnal collapse and effectively killed their title hopes.Ferguson also decided against employing the diamond formation which had left United so exposed against Braga, bringing Michael Carrick to the fore. (credit:Getty Images)
Defeat at Norwich (November)(04 of10)
Although United enjoyed one of their trademark comebacks at Aston Villa the previous week, a setback came in East Anglia when Norwich deservedly won thanks to Anthony Pilkington's goal.Ryan Giggs was entrusted with a central midfield berth despite his aberration at Tottenham in September, and United again lost by a single goal.Giggs started just five times during the 18-match unbeaten league run United embarked on after the loss. (credit:Getty Images)
Samir Nasri's cowardice(05 of10)
Ironically, United tried to sign Nasri from Arsenal in 2011 until City intervened. His character came under scrutiny during Euro 2012 after a run-in with the French press and now he is the bête noire of his Italian manager.Mancini happily namechecked Nasri when asked about the players whose performance level had waned. His unforgivable cowardice in the December derby, when he cowered behind Edin Džeko only for Robin van Persie's free-kick to flick off his boot and into the net, sent United five points clear. The closest City since got to them was when the gap was briefly trimmed to four later that month. (credit:Getty Images)
Boxing Day win vs Newcastle(06 of10)
Again, Javier Hernández got the winner and again United had come from behind not once, not twice, but thrice to earn a valuable three points. Already United had fallen behind first in nine of their league games before Newcastle made it 10.It was unnecessarily hard work. Ferguson started Michael Carrick, Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs, whose presence as a trio at home to Tottenham culminated in Spurs racing into a 2-0 half-time lead in September.Giggs was sacrificed at the interval that day but this time the fall guy was Scholes. His substitution was belated, however. Newcastle led 2-1 at half-time but it was not until Papiss Cissé made it 3-2 on 68 minutes that Ferguson finally acted. The fresh Tom Cleverley arrived and United seized control, equalising through Van Persie before Hernández pounced.Further north, City lost to Sunderland, meaning United went seven points clear. (credit:Getty Images)
Vincent Kompany gets injured at Stoke(07 of10)
A measure of Kompany's importance to City can be gauged by the following fact: when he injured his calf at Stoke in January, City trailed United by five points. When he returned to the first-team fold, the points difference had tripled to 15.
United pile on the pressure(08 of10)
Wayne Rooney has experienced a poor season by his standards, yet his three winning goals for United this campaign each increased their lead over City.At Fulham in February, his classy finish was the only goal of the game as United held on to go 10 points clear. The following day City twice came from behind against Liverpool but could only draw.Rooney's winner versus Southampton earlier in the week had extended United's advantage to seven points after City drew at QPR, and it was his deflected goal past Reading which made it 15. (credit:Getty Images)
(09 of10)
Gareth Barry scores an own goal to extend Southampton's lead to 3-1 against City in February. Had the Blues won on the south coast, they would have trimmed United's lead - at least temporarily - down to six points.Instead United routinely beat Everton 2-1 the following day to widen the chasm to 12 points. (credit:Getty Images)
Nikica Jelavić ends the contest(10 of10)
An early kick-off, City again squandered a chance to trim United's lead when 10-man Everton - the Citizens's bogey team - defeated them 2-0 to effectively dash any lingering hopes for Mancini's team.Trailing to Leon Osman's sliced opener, City received a fillip when Steven Pienaar was sent off. But Everton, who a week earlier were trounced 3-0 at Goodison Park by Wigan in the FA Cup, were desperate to regain their supporters's faith and. A superb rearguard display preceded Nikica Jelavić's deflected strike for a 2-0 win.That evening, United beat Reading 1-0 in a stultifying affair to widen the gap to 15 points. (credit:Getty Images)