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LONDON -- Manchester United won its 10th Premier League title in 16 years and second straight by beating Wigan 2-0 Sunday on the final day of the season.
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Chelsea, which went into its final game even on points with United but way behind on goal difference, was held to a 1-1 draw by Bolton and wound up two points behind in an anticlimactic finish.
While Alex Ferguson celebrated his 21st trophy in 22 years at Old Trafford, Chelsea finished runner-up for the second successive season. But the team will get a chance to bounce back when it plays United in the Champions League final on May 21 in Moscow.
Lower down the standings, third-place Arsenal, despite its five-point lead in February and attractive style of play, failed to win a trophy for the third season in a row. Fourth-place Liverpool still isn't close to winning a first league title since 1990 after finishing 11 points behind.
United won with 87 points and Chelsea had 85, which was still the closest finish since United edged Arsenal by one point in 1999.
Now, 17-time English champion United is chasing Liverpool's all-time record of 18 league titles.
"I think it will come," said United manager Alex Ferguson, who has 21 individual trophies to his name in 22 seasons at Old Trafford. "This team is developing all the time. It's a good young team and there's plenty of years left in them."
Ferguson will get a chance at another trophy on May 21 in the Champions League final against Chelsea in Moscow.
"The great thing is we're bouncing in to the (Champions League) final," Ferguson said.
Chelsea manager Avram Grant said his team got close but not close enough.
"We wanted very much to win the league, but it was never, ever even for one minute in our hands," Grant said. "Even today, when it was 1-0.
"You cannot say it was disappointing because we were never in first place to lose it, so we need to be very proud of what we did this year."
Arsenal finished the season four points behind United but effectively lost out after a 2-1 defeat to the defending champions left it nine points back.
