Champions Review: August

ManUtd.com's review of the Reds' enthralling run to a 20th title begins back in August...

Overview It was an inauspicious start in the league as injury-hit United went to Everton with Nemanja Vidic the only fit centre-back – and he hadn’t played a competitive game in eight months. Michael Carrick deputised alongside him, but the Reds came unstuck in the face of the Toffees’ aerial bombardment and it was little surprise that, despite a decent start from the Reds, Marouane Fellaini clinched a 1-0 win. Things improved at home to Fulham as Robin van Persie and Shinji Kagawa scored on their home debuts, while Rafael contributed to a 3-2 win.

Key moment It came off the pitch with the arrival of Robin van Persie from Arsenal. His goals would prove vital, but he arrived with a touch of class and no small amount of charm, announcing at his unveiling: “I always listen to that little boy inside of me. What does he want? That boy was screaming for Manchester United.”

Star man Considering the clamour for RvP, it says a lot that Shinji Kagawa won ManUtd.com’s Player of the Month poll. The Japanese schemer gave early glimpses of promise and bagged a goal on his first outing at OT.

State of play The Reds finished the month in seventh spot, on three points, while eventual title rivals Manchester City (fifth with four points) and Chelsea (first with nine points from three games) made stronger starts.