United's Best League Goals Of 2007/08

1. Carlos Tevez v Middlesbrough, 27 October 2007.

One of United's best performances all season and the greatest team move of the Premier League season. With United 2-1 up early in the second half, Hargreaves got the ball halfway in the Middlesbrough territory. He looked up and passed it to Anderson whose first-time lob was chested into Rooney's path by Carlos Tevez. The Englishman backheeled the ball back to his Argentinian colleague who slotted home clinically. And in front of the Stretford End of all places.

2. Cristiano Ronaldo v Portsmouth, 30 January 2008.

A routine win over a less than confident side is memorable only because of the second goal that put the game out of their reach - after only 13 minutes.

Ronaldo, having scored the first, stood up for a 25-yard free-kick that he won himself. He proceeded to make the ball spin and swerve incredibly and blasted it past a stranded David James into the top corner. Those sitting in the East Stand that night can boast they were lucky to witness one of the greatest freekicks of Premier League history.

3. Carlos Tevez v Birmingham City, New Years Day 2008.

In an otherwise unremarkable game Ronaldo and Tevez stole the limelight with a brilliant goal. The Argentinian chipped a ball over the head of a defender to Ronaldo who then sent him clear with a backheel. Tevez latched onto the ball and struck it calmly into the right hand corner and ran away to show us his now-famous dummy celebration.

4. Wayne Rooney v Newcastle United, 23 February 2008.

United scored wonderful goals away from home, too. This one wasn't particularly important with the Champions already 3-1 up at St. James' Park with only ten minutes to go but it was a real beauty, Rooney's best of a somewhat stop-start campaign.

The Toxteth-born striker controlled a bad clearance then looked up and curled an unstoppable and delightful effort into the far corner of the net to crown a brilliant team performance. Poor Harper... at least it was Given who suffered the indignity of conceding six at Old Trafford a month earlier.

5. Owen Hargreaves v Arsenal, 13 April 2008.

You just can't forget this one. United, going behind due to an Adebayor goal that was clearly handball, responded superbly and were level within minutes in this crucial clash when Gallas handled the ball and wasn't as lucky as Adebayor.

Still, a 1-1 draw was to Chelsea's benefit only so we needed another moment of inspiration. Hargreaves duly provided it: while everyone expected Ronaldo to take the free-kick 20 yards from the Arsenal goal, the midfielder stepped up and curled a wonderfully precise effort into the low corner of Lehmann's net, leaving the German stranded. His subsequent crazy celebrations showed just how important this goal was.


And that's it, folks. Honourable mentions must go to Rooney's goal at Reading (he tucked away Tevez's lob with the outside of his right foot), Ronaldo's second against Newcastle at Old Trafford (he finished off a great team move after controlling Tevez's strongly hit pass), Nani's efforts against Middlesbrough and Spurs (two brilliant screamers from distance), Ronaldo's second against Blackburn (a sweeping counter-attack finished expertly), his free-kick at Sunderland, Tevez's unstoppable shot against West Ham... and I could go on but you may already see how difficult it was to choose the five best.