Andy Cole, a name interwoven into this perhaps the most fulfilling of all Manchester United's Premiership triumphs, chose an opportune moment at Old Trafford yesterday to disprove the theory that the season had gone on a couple of months too long for him.
On Alex Ferguson's reckoning, Cole's influence in and around the six-yard area has dwindled to the point where his first-team status is no longer guaranteed. Left out of the starting line-up for the final assault on the title, he got into the action only because of the manager's fear that his replacement, Teddy Sheringham, might not finish the game after being booked for an ill-timed tackle.
Within three minutes of his introduction for the start of the second half, he had delivered the goal which rescued United from an increasingly fraught situation and finally took them clear of Arsenal at the finish line.
In moments of languid skill which will surely sustain him in retirement, he killed the ball and beat Sol Campbell in one fluent move. The ensuing chip shot was precise enough to clear goalkeeper Ian Walker and dip into the net for the most precious of all United's goals this season.
"Andy's form has tapered - there is no doubt about that," said Ferguson afterwards, "but when he produces a strike like the one today, you are reassured that he is still a very special player." In the end it was to see United safely home, but given the amount of possession and chance they enjoyed, it should never have been as fine cut as that.
Paul Scholes, seldom less than industrious but never more infuriating, failed in goal-scoring situations on at least five occasions, at times denied by Walker's athleticism, on other occasions by his own lack of composure. That was untypical of the man and the team. But in a sense it said it all about United's performance on the day when doubts about their cutting edge, so painfully exposed in recent games against Middlesborough and Blackburn, frequently threatened to undo them.
Tottenham started in a manner which suggested that they were in no mood to turn the carnival occasion sour. Scarcely adventurous enough to cross the half-way line, they had already survived four perilous assaults when Les Ferdinand produced the goal which fell like a clap of doom on the 55,000 spectators.
Steffen Iverson won the aerial duel with David May to knock the ball forward and Ferdinand held off Ronny Johnsen's challenge with disturbing ease, to loft the ball over Peter Schmeichel. The effect was to plunge the champions elect into a crisis of confidence which almost led to a second Tottenham goal in the 41st minute. On this occasion Schmeichel, on his last appearance at Old Trafford, earned the undying gratitude of United's faithful by parrying Iversson's shot and within a minute United were celebrating their reprieve on the double.
Scholes picked out David Beckham on the opposite side of the penalty area and the winger's drive carried sufficient power and pace to beat Walker and go in off an upright. At that moment the game turned irreversibly and when Cole provided his magical touch in the 48th minute, United had finally made their superiority count where it mattered most - on the scoreline.
It had been a close run thing at times, all too close, but in the end Roy Keane's ceaseless prompting and those inspirational goals by Beckham and Cole saw Manchester United safely home. The crowd had finally got the result they coveted.
Man Utd: Schmeichel, G. Neville, May, Johnsen, Irwin, Beckham, Scholes (Butt 69), Keane, Giggs (P. Neville 79), Yorke, Sheringham (Cole 45). Subs Not Used: Van Der Gouw, Solskjaer. Booked: Sheringham. Goals: Beckham 42, Cole 47.
Tottenham: Walker, Carr, Edinburgh, Scales (Young 70), Campbell, Anderton, Freund, Sherwood, Ginola (Dominguez 9), Ferdinand, Iversen, Dominguez (Sinton 76). Subs Not Used: Baardsen, Clemence. Booked: Anderton. Goals: Ferdinand 24.
Referee: G Poll (Tring).
