Daily Mail By Laura Williamson Last updated at 3:19 PM on 23rd March 2009 On March 14, 1998 Manchester United were beaten 1-0 at Old Trafford by their closest rivals, Arsenal. The Gunners went on to win the 1997-98 Premiership title. On March 14, 2009 Manchester United were hammered 4-1 at Old Trafford by their closest rivals, Liverpool. Can Rafa Benitez's side go on to the win the 2008-09 Premier League title? 'It was a foregone conclusion until we came to the beginning of March,' said Sir Alex Ferguson of the 1997-98 Premier League campaign. Manchester United were 12 points clear of Arsene Wenger's Arsenal coming in to March and managed to blow it. Fast forward 11 years and we have a similar situation. On March 1, 2009 United were seven points clear of Liverpool with a game in hand. The lead is now just a single point, although United still have an extra game to play. It can't happen again, can it? In 1998 United were hit by injuries with Ryan Giggs, Gary Pallister, Peter Schmeichel and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer all needing treatment, while Paul Scholes played against Arsenal with a broken toe on March 14. This year it is suspensions that could cost them. Nemanja Vidic must miss a second first-team game (against Aston Villa on April 5) and Scholes and Wayne Rooney will also be absent when Martin O'Neill's side visit Old Trafford after their red cards against Fulham on Saturday. But can Liverpool pull off the feat that Wenger's Arsenal managed in 1998? A side that contained the famous Arsenal 'back five' (Seaman, Dixon, Adams, Keown and Winterburn), coupled with the creative prowess of Marc Overmars, Emmanuel Petit, Patrick Viera and Nicolas Anelka, embarked on a 10-match unbeaten run to snatch the title from United. The Gunners had it sown up by May 3, when a 4-0 victory over Everton secured the title with two games to go. Liverpool will need to win at least seven of their remaining eight games (against Fulham, Blackburn, Arsenal, Hull, Newcastle, West Ham, West Brom and Tottenham) to have any chance of winning their first title since 1990, but the pressure is back on United, even with that game in hand (at Wigan). Sportsmail looks back at the 1997-98 Premier League run-in to see why Liverpool fans should not give up hope just yet... February 28 Chelsea 0 Manchester United 1 Arsenal 47 Man Utd 59 (Points difference= +12 Man Utd) March 2 West Ham 0 Arsenal 0 Arsenal 48 Man Utd 59 (Points difference= +11 Man Utd) March 7 Sheffield Wednesday 2 Manchester United 0 Arsenal 48 Man Utd 59 (Points difference= +11 Man Utd) March 11 West Ham United 1 Manchester United 1 Wimbledon 0 Arsenal 1 Arsenal 51 Man Utd 60 (Points difference= +9 Man Utd) March 14 Manchester United 0 Arsenal 1 Arsenal 54 Man Utd 60 (Points difference= +6 Man Utd) March 28 Arsenal 1 Sheffield Wednesday 0 Manchester United 2 Wimbledon 0 Arsenal 57 Man Utd 63 (Points difference= +6 Man Utd) March 31 Bolton Wanderers 0 Arsenal 1 Arsenal 60 Man Utd 63 (Points difference= +3 Man Utd) April 6 Blackburn Rovers 1 Manchester United 3 Arsenal 60 Man Utd 66 (Points difference= +6 Man Utd) April 10 Manchester United 1 Liverpool 1 Arsenal 60 Man Utd 67 (Points difference= +7 Man Utd) April 11 Arsenal 3 Newcastle United 1 Arsenal 63 Man Utd 67 (Points difference= +4 Man Utd) April 13 Blackburn Rovers 1 Arsenal 4 Arsenal 66 Man Utd 67 (Points difference= +1 Man Utd) April 18 Arsenal 5 Wimbledon 0 Manchester United 1 Newcastle United 1 Arsenal 69 Man Utd 68 (Points difference= +1 Arsenal) April 25 Barnsley 0 Arsenal 2 Arsenal 72 Man Utd 68 (Points difference= +4 Arsenal) April 27 Crystal Palace 0 Manchester United 3 Arsenal 72 Man Utd 71 (Points difference= +1 Arsenal) April 29 Arsenal 1 Derby County 0 Arsenal 75 Man Utd 71 (Points difference= +4 Arsenal) May 3 Arsenal 4 Everton 0 Arsenal 78 Man Utd 71 (Points difference= +7 Arsenal) May 4 Manchester United 3 Leeds United 0 Arsenal 78 Man Utd 74 (Points difference= +4 Arsenal) May 6 Liverpool 4 Arsenal 0 Arsenal 78 Man Utd 74 (Points difference= +4 Arsenal) May 10 Aston Villa 1 Arsenal 0 Barnsley 0 Manchester United 2 Arsenal 78 Man Utd 77 (Points difference = +1 Arsenal) Premier League table 1998 1. Arsenal (C) 38 23 9 6 68-33 78 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 2. Manchester United (CL) 38 23 8 7 73-26 77
Of course it can happen. We are playing to our potential now and have manure rattled among others. Roll on the league
Goosebumps reading that, didnt know it was that big a gap they lost - Bring on Blackburn to keep the rot for them going and pressure on
Blackburn cant come fast enough now this is what weve been looking for for years now treatin every game like a cup final i just hope to god we can keep this going!
next 2 games we have are before the scum play each time so plenty of chances to crank up the pressure on them with 2 wins
Good point. Watched them tonight against Porto and have to say they are just not right at the moment. Theyve been playing terribly for quite a while now. I thought during their "untouchable" run they were getting away with it; red noses greatest side my hole. We've gotta keep that pressure on, then who knows
Yeah but unfortunately they still are getting away with it, completely different ball game had they drawn or lost to villa at the weekend. I know last night was a bad result for them but don't forget it counts for nothing if they go out and stuff porto in the away leg. They have a knack of pulling through these things!
I know, you're right mate. But as long as they keep playing this way, there's every chance they could drop more points in the league. We must hope!!!
last nights result does mean that they have to play a full team next week though. If they had won 3-0 tonight they would be back on a high and would thump sunderland, as it is they have to have one eye on the porto game next wed's. It might just mean they take their eye off the ball at the weekend.
All we can do is win our games and hope. They are going through rough patch but still getting results, (e.g.) Villa. Arsenal have a huge part to play in this run in and they are form team. They lost Gallas and Almunia for the season and 3 weeks respectively Not getting to far ahead of myself, our biggest game of season in Chelsea, then Blacburn, and so on..... But we must "live in hope and pray".....as a famous song adapted for our beloved club states BELIEVE
Look at the points total that won it, we could have 10 more than that and still have not enough. I think Chelsea's 85 last year was the highest ever total not to win it. Also the year we hit 80 pts under Houllier it was the first time 80 pts wasn't enough. The standard at the top has risen and dipped at the bottom.
I think if we finish on 88 points this season we will win it. We justh have to with 88 points. Hoping we beat Arse and Arse take either 2 or 3 points from Mancs. Arsenal and City....they both can take points of mancs...that's all we need!
I do see that it will obviously have an effect on them but i think had that been a league game last night they wouldn't have conceeded that second goal. They somehow manage to pull it out of the bag when they need it and they didn't really need it last night, a draw isn't ideal but it doesn't knock them out of anything.
But if horse head is still out, they will play neville and he was shocking against Villa last week. Jones can get at them with his height (hopefully)