2007-08

Lore & Background

Manchester United entered 2007-08 as reigning champions, having edged past Chelsea in 2006-07, and the expectation was that José Mourinho's revitalised Blues would strike back. For much of the season the two sides traded blows at the top, with Chelsea's blend of Drogba, Lampard, Ballack and Deco providing a potent counterweight to United's attacking depth. Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo, Carlos Tevez and the ever-present Paul Scholes gave Ferguson a squad of extraordinary versatility, while Nemanja Vidić and Rio Ferdinand anchored a backline that conceded remarkably few goals. Edwin van der Sar's commanding presence in goal added a layer of security that allowed the team to press with confidence.

The season's most remarkable storyline belonged to Wigan Athletic. Under the young Roberto Martínez, a club that had been promoted only two seasons earlier finished in the top five and reached the League Cup final for the first time in their history. They fell to Cardiff City in the final, but their campaign—rooted in relentless work-rate, tactical discipline and a collective spirit that defied their budget—earned them a place in the folklore of the league. For a small town in Lancashire, it was a season that felt like a dream.

The title, however, belonged to Manchester United. On the final afternoon, with the arithmetic demanding a win, United travelled to the DW Stadium and produced a performance of controlled intensity to defeat Wigan and seal their second consecutive league championship. The image of Ferguson's players celebrating in front of a stunned Wigan crowd, knowing they had just denied their hosts the ultimate fairy-tale ending, remains one of the more bittersweet pictures in Premier League history.

In Their Own Story

The floodlights at the DW Stadium hummed to life on a cold April evening. The Wigan end was a sea of blue and white, drums pounding, scarves waving. Across the pitch, United in their crimson shirts moved with the calm of a team that had done this before. The first half was a war of inches—Vidić shouldering a Wigan striker into the touchline, Scholes threading a pass that just clipped a boot. Then, in the second half, the game cracked open. A corner, a scramble, a header that kissed the crossbar and dropped to a boot. The away end erupted. Wigan threw everything forward, the crowd roaring them on, and for twenty minutes the tension was a physical thing, a wire stretched to breaking. Then the final whistle. United players collapsed to the grass, Scholes pressing his face into the turf, Rooney lifting his arms to the sky. In the Wigan end, silence. A long, heavy, disbelieving silence. The dream had lasted all season. It ended in a ninety-second margin.

Reader's Guide

SETUP: Manchester United, fresh off a 2006-07 title, face a Mourinho-charged Chelsea side desperate to reclaim the crown. The season opens with both teams trading blows, the gap at the top razor-thin.

MID-SEASON TWIST: Wigan Athletic, two seasons out of the Championship, begin an improbable climb. Roberto Martínez's tactical discipline and the collective hunger of a small-town squad turn every match into a statement. By January, the Latics are knocking on the top six, and the footballing world is baffled.

CLIMAX: The final weekend. United must win at the DW Stadium to clinch the title. Wigan, playing for their own fairy-tale, refuse to be a backdrop. The match is a cage fight—Vidić in the air, Scholes on the ball, Rooney pressing, the Wigan end deafening. United edge it. The title is won. The dream, for Wigan, is over.

FINAL TABLE: Manchester United champions. Chelsea second, having pushed all season. Liverpool third. And Wigan, fifth, a club that will never be forgotten for what they did that year.

HERO: Sir Alex Ferguson and his United. VILLAIN: José Mourinho and Chelsea, the relentless challengers. DARK HORSE: Wigan Athletic. THE MOMENT: The final whistle at the DW Stadium, United players on the grass, Wigan fans in silence.

Did You Know?

• Manchester United won back-to-back Premier League titles in 2006-07 and 2007-08, a feat that extended their record of league championships in the modern era.
• Wigan Athletic reached the League Cup final for the first time in their history, losing to Cardiff City, after a season that saw them finish in the top five of the Premier League.
• The 2007-08 title was decided on the final day of the season, with Manchester United required to beat Wigan Athletic to secure the championship.
• Roberto Martínez, who managed Wigan to their remarkable 2007-08 campaign, went on to manage the Belgium national team to the 2018 World Cup semi-finals.