in a league of its own

It would be churlish to dispute Richard Scudamore's claim that this has been the greatest Premier League season. The evidence overwhelmingly supports the chief executive's view that this campaign has produced consistent quality, unrivalled drama, technical competence and a truly compelling climax above and beyond anything we've seen in the past.

Kevin Keegan may have a point when he says a contest dominated by the top four is 'boring'. For now, though, our Premier League is the real deal, a huge success story that needs none of the tinkering envisaged by Scudamore with his revolutionary plan to play an extra round of matches at foreign venues from 2011 . . . and here's why.

Avram Grant's Chelsea deserve huge credit for taking the title race to the last day but, in the final anaylsis, Manchester United were worthy winners.

Of course, no one knows better than Sir Alex Ferguson just how to successfully negotiate a Premier League season and, as Liverpool, Arsenal and Chelsea fell by the wayside, the United manager ensured that nothing blurred the focus at Old Trafford.

Arsenal, the most attractive team to watch, led by five points in mid-February but then lost Eduardo with a broken leg in that 2-2 draw at Birmingham. It was a difficult day that had serious repercussions - just one win from the next seven League games. Their 2-1 defeat at Old Trafford ended any realistic hopes Arsene Wenger had of regaining the title.

Chelsea now carried London's hopes and a 2-1 win over United at Stamford Bridge gave them a real chance of snatching the title from the defending champions in the final two matches.