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#93749 - 05/09/08 07:18 AM

Final DAY of EPL '08 Season--Who will win the Title?

ATU
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On Sunday, before a global television audience of hundreds of millions, the Premier League could - for the first time since its inception in 1993 - be decided by goal difference.

Leaders Manchester United travel to Wigan on the same points as Chelsea, who entertain Bolton, but Sir Alex Ferguson's side are 17 goals better off than their rivals. 606: DEBATE
Who will win the Premier League?

Only four times in the past 20 years has the top flight been decided on the final day of the season.

John Barnes and Gary Pallister, who were involved in last-day drama in 1989 and 1995, talk BBC Sport through the triumphs and traumas as the destiny of the title goes right down to the wire.

To have everything fall apart on the last day of the season, a whole season's work go up in smoke like that, a little bit of luck going against you in the last half hour of the match - it was just soul-destroying.

Barnes on Liverpool playing Blackburn that day:

We couldn't win the title but as professionals we certainly wanted to win the game and of course we did just that.
The triumph and the tragedy - Alan Shearer and Steve Bruce

However, we did not want Manchester United to win the league, so fortunately West Ham did Blackburn a favour by drawing with United.

But as for us, there was no way we could ever have felt we weren't going to try and win the game.

Coming to Anfield, we should have beaten Blackburn. They were up there in the league but they weren't coming as favourites or expecting to win as Anfield was a difficult place to come and play. I'm sure Blackburn were just hoping West Ham could do them a favour.

SUNDAY'S TITLE SHOWDOWN

Pallister, who won the title on the last day with United in 1996, on the destiny of this season's Premier League:

If you asked Steve Bruce who he'd like to win the Premier League he'd say Manchester United, that's obvious - the club is in his blood, it's just human nature.

He captained United and won trophies and it was Sir Alex Ferguson who gave him the chance to do all that. FINAL DAY TITLE VICTORY
Date: 5 May, 1996
Games: Midd'bro 0-3 Man Utd
Newcastle 1-1 Tottenham
What happened? United led by two points and cantered to victory at Boro, with goals from David May, Andy Cole and Ryan Giggs

But Steve is now the manager of Wigan, he's not at United anymore and he will want his players to prove they are a good side.

He's not out there on the pitch on Sunday, his players are and they will all be desperate to perform. Wigan is a difficult place to go, the pitch won't make it easy and they are not going to just roll over and die.

If they go into the game and don't approach it in the right way they could get embarrassed by United and they won't want that to happen on their own ground in front of their own fans.

However, I still think United will finish the job off. They have got match-winners in their team, they have all been there before and I feel now they've got this far, they won't let it slip.

Barnes on the destiny of this season's Premier League:

Wigan will play as we did for Liverpool in 1995. Even if Steve Bruce has an affiliation with United and a like for Sir Alex Ferguson, he will try and win the game and the players will as well.

The difference is probably that United are going to Wigan expecting to win - like I said, I don't think Blackburn were 13 years ago. FINAL DAY TITLE VICTORY
Date: 15 May, 1999
Games: Man Utd 2-1 Spurs
Arsenal 1-0 Aston Villa
What happened? United led Arsenal by a point and they fell behind to Spurs while Arsenal went ahead against Villa. But United scored twice to win the title

I think it's going to be a very tight game and it really would not surprise me if Wigan managed to get a draw.

They are not going to get relegated so they can play relaxed football, they have professional pride to play for and they have got good players, match-winners like Antonio Valencia and Emile Heskey.

Having said that, I still think United will probably manage to win, though not easily.

Chelsea have the easier game at home to Bolton so I expect them to win comfortably, but obviously if United do win that still wouldn't be enough.