AUGUST: Having sold their main goalscorer, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Manchester United kicked off the season with most pundits suggesting they were ill-equipped to challenge Chelsea's bid for a third straight title. By the end of the month they had played three, won three and scored ten with the goals coming from every section of the side: the tone for their season had been set while there was an unexpected early stumble by Chelsea, beaten 2-1 at Middlesbrough in their second match.

SEPTEMBER: Arsenal belatedly kick their season into life by winning 1-0 at Old Trafford, ending United's perfect start to the season with a flawless display of 'pass and move' football. That allows Chelsea to get back to the top of the table by the end of the month but Jose Mourinho's men again show vulnerability as they are held at Aston Villa. Liverpool are the big losers: A third successive away defeat, at Bolton, knocks their pre-season status as second favourites behind Chelsea. A superb solo goal at Reading brings the first suggestions Cristiano Ronaldo could be emerging as the world's best player.

OCTOBER: A Wayne Rooney hat-trick inspires United's most exhilarating display of the season to date, a 4-0 win at Bolton, and keeps them neck-and-neck with Chelsea at the top. Arsenal begin to hit form but Liverpool's title hopes are effectively ended when they lose 2-0 at Old Trafford, a win that prompts Sir Alex Ferguson to declare that his reshaped squad have begun to believe they can bring the Premiership trophy back to Old Trafford. Chelsea suffer major blow with loss of goalkeeper Petr Cech, who suffers fractured skull in collision during win at Reading.

NOVEMBER: United outplay Chelsea at Old Trafford but are forced to settle for a point after Ricardo Carvalho cancels out Louis Saha's goal, prompting Mourinho to claim his side's rivals had blown a "big, big chance," to open up a six-point gap at the top of the table. The champions' defeat at Tottenham at the start of November had handed the initiative to United as Ferguson celebrated the 20th anniversary of his arrival at Old Trafford. Defeat by bogey team Bolton costs Arsenal the chance to close the gap on the top two, although the Gunners retain hope they can get back into title contention.

DECEMBER: Ferguson is able to celebrate his 65th birthday on New Year's Eve by raising a glass to the six-point lead his side have opened up over Chelsea, who draw with both Reading and Fulham as their injury problems begin to bite. Still without Cech, the champions are hit hard when skipper John Terry undergoes back surgery while Joe Cole and Arjen Robben are also sidelined. Arsenal's bid to stay in touch with the top two is undermined by defeat at struggling Sheffield United.

JANUARY: United retain their six-point advantage as the season heads towards a thrilling finale. But Ferguson's men miss a huge opportunity to deliver a killer blow to their title rivals. Twenty-four hours after injury-ravaged Chelsea are beaten 2-0 by Liverpool at Anfield, United are leading Arsenal at the Emirates, only to concede two late goals, including Thierry Henry's stoppage time winner. All is not well at Chelsea with Terry's return delayed and speculation mounting over Mourinho's future after he is denied funds to bring in a back-up centreback.

FEBRUARY: Chelsea are buoyed by the return of Terry and by a League Cup final win over Arsenal that sparks talk of a 'quadruple' clean sweep of all four competitions they have entered. The Londoners sweep through the month with maximum points, but they, frustratingly, they fail to make any inroads into United's lead. A jaded performance at Fulham at the end of the month appears certain to result in a draw at best, but Cristiano Ronaldo rides to the rescue with a superb solo winner to keep his side's lead intact.

MARCH: United enjoy their biggest break of the season when John O'Shea scores a last-minute winner against Liverpool at Anfield after Paul Scholes had been sent off. The resulting suspension of Scholes reduces Ferguson's options just as his squad is hit by injury problems for the first time in the season. Gary Neville, Louis Saha and Nemanja Vidic all end the month on the sidelines, adding to the pressure generated by Chelsea's winning run.

APRIL: After months of front-running, United finally falter, uncharacteristic errors by Edwin van der Sar gifting Portsmouth a 2-1 win at Fratton Park on a day when Chelsea had already beaten Tottenham 1-0. With a home match against United to come, the champions have regained control of their own destiny, while the loss of Rio Ferdinand aggravates United's injury crisis. But three weeks later, the momentum swings back to United. On a day of high drama, United score four times in the final half hour to overturn a two goal deficit at Everton while Chelsea blow a lead to draw at home to Bolton, prompting Ferguson to promise the soon to be departed Sam Allardyce, 'a kiss and a hug, maybe two kisses.'

MAY: United need four points from their final three games to be crowned champions for the 16th time, the 9th under Ferguson. Cristiano Ronaldo's 23rd goal of the season, a penalty, settles the Manchester derby and cuts the target to one point. Arsenal do United the favour on the Sunday by holding Chelsea to a 1-1 draw leaving the Londoners seven points adrift with two matches remaining.