FanHouse RafaBenitez

Manchester United were able to break out the Queen ... and the Tina Turner over the public address system, because Saturday they became Premier League champions for the third consecutive season.

Manchester United needed one point from its final two games to win the 2008-09 Premier League title and it accomplished that with a 0-0 draw against Arsenal at Old Trafford in England. The draw puts Manchester United seven points clear of second-place Liverpool, which now cannot catch them, despite whatever protestations Rafa Benitez might make.

Put the champagne on ice, because Manchester United could have the 2008-09 Premier League crown wrapped up before most Americans are awake Saturday morning.

The Red Devils put themselves on the doorstep of their third straight Premier League crown after beating Wigan Athletic 2-1 Wednesday, finally making up the 'game in hand' the club has held seemingly for months. Manchester United now lead second place Liverpool by six points with two games remaining. All Manchester United needs is one point from its two remaining games -- the first coming in the early Saturday morning fixture against rival Arsenal at Old Trafford.

Liverpool hasn't won a league title since 1990, and the club's fervent supporters are eager to see a Premier League trophy in Anfield next year. To that end, Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez is already reminding those fans that this probably won't happen.

"Yes, clearly it's more difficult [to win the league] here than in Spain because the top sides spend big, big money. ... We will try to do our best and the key for me is to not talk about the title. The key is to be near the top, to be contenders. If we stay close then I think we are capable of doing it. It is an option, for sure."

Yes, the Premier League crown is an option, not a priority. After all, who needs a domestic league title as long as you can finish fourth and qualify for the Champions League? Those are the 13 games that really matter, right?

Of course, Rafa is just looking for more money for the summer transfer window, which the owners can't give him because they're too busy paying down the loan they took out to buy the club. So Rafa is expected to sell off a bunch of underused players -- including Peter Crouch, Xabi Alonso and, shockingly, John Arne Riise -- to raise the money. No matter what happens, though, you can expect Rafa to view fourth place as first place in the Premier League. Apparently, he doesn't think he can afford any more than that.