When Manchester United launched a £24 million summer bid for Arsenal skipper Robin van Persie, many questioned the wisdom of Sir Alex Ferguson's decision making. 28 goals later it has proved to be a masterstroke of epic proportions as the Dutchman produced the most sumptuous of hat-tricks against a poor Aston Villa side to guide United to an unprecedented 20th league title, while also claiming his very first.

While Arsenal fans will no doubt continue to be scowl both at the decision to sell their star striker, and how it is has impacted proceedings this season, Van Persie is busy celebrating a long overdue title triumph, one his perhaps more beloved Arsenal can't even begin to dream off anytime soon.

Suarez apologizes for Ivanovic bite but Liverpool future hanging by a thread

Anthony Hopkins’ wrote himself into the annals of history with his brilliant portrayal of Hannibal Lecter and Luis Suarez is hell bent on achieving a similar legacy from his football career. The Uruguayan’s inexplicable bite on Branislav Ivanovic during Liverpool’s 2-2 draw against Chelsea overshadowed the fact that the striker had an assist and a 96^th minute goal to his name. The 26 year old Tweeted this in the immediate aftermath of the incident: “I'm sad for what happened this afternoon, I apologize Ivanovic and all football world for my inexcusable behaviour. I'm so sorry about it,” and he also added that he had apologized to Ivanovic over the phone. But that isn’t going to prevent the FA from taking retrospective action and his Liverpool career might be over too as a similar biting incident at Ajax ended his tenure in the Eredivisie.

Mancini concedes Premier League title to Man United

Man City’s shocking collapse at Tottenham yesterday has all but ended the so-called title “race” as Man United can clinch a 20^th trophy with a win over Aston Villa later tonight. “We wanted to win the championship, but the only thing we can say to them is congratulations,” said Roberto Mancini to the Daily Mail. The Italian refused to accept the gaping chasm between the two sides in the points table but he did conceded that the Red Devils were deserved winners: “United won a lot of games in a row and deserve to win the title. The reason there is a gap is because there is more attitude and they wanted to win it after last year.”

Arsene Wenger has repeatedly hammered home the need for financial stability at a football club down the years, but Arsenal’s PLC structure combined with two sparring stakeholders has left the club trailing their closest rivals for the last eight trophy-less years. All of that could change if the ‘too good to be true’ news of a blockbuster bid from a Mid-Eastern consortium becomes a reality. The Telegraph reports that the Gunners should expect a whopping £1.5bn bid from Qatari and UAE investors sometime in the near future, news that will not go down well with the club’s two biggest shareholders Stan Kroenke and Alisher Usmanov.

Kroenke owns two-thirds of the club and the Asian investors will have a hard time convincing the American to sell his stake in the club as he has reiterated his desire to stick on for a long time. Usmanov currently doesn’t enjoy a seat on the Board of Directors at Arsenal despite owning 29.96% of the club owing to a dispute with Kroenke.

Sri Lanka's Mithun Perera came home the winner at the 11th TATA Open after firing a final round of one-under-70. Perera, who totaled 11-under-274 for the tournament, finished one stroke ahead of Delhi's Vinod Kumar.

Mithun Perera (65-72-67-70), the overnight leader, had a good start to the day as he birdied the second (par-5) after landing his chip from the bunker within a couple of inches of the flag. He went on to make pars on all the other holes. Perera, who has now won three professional titles, made some amazing par saves on the seventh and 14th. He made outstanding chip-putts on the seventh and 14th.

The first top of the table clash of the season takes place at Stamford Bridge on Sunday as unbeaten league leaders Chelsea host 2^nd placed Manchester United. Last season apart this fixture has generally decided the fate of the title over the last decade, with the two sides winning seven of the last eight Premier League titles. Sir Alex Ferguson has used the occasion to dismiss the notion of anybody outside the duo and Manchester City lifting the league title, with Arsenal, Tottenham and Everton a fair distance away from the top three.

“I think Chelsea, Manchester City and ourselves seem to be creating that little gap from the rest," said Ferguson during the pre-match press conference. "It's difficult to be dead certain but I would be surprised if one of us didn't win it.”

Novak Djokovic exacted some measure of revenge following two consecutive defeats at the hands of Andy Murray at the Olympics and then in the US Open final, but did need to do it the hardway, saving 5 match points en route to beating the Scotsman in a near 3½ hour cliffhanger, 5-7, 7-6 (11), 6-3 to clinch the Shanghai Masters crown. Murray, who was a 2-time defending champion at this event came perilously close to a 3-peat only to be denied by a Djokovic who just refused to die.

Djokovic came into today's final on the back of a 9-match winning streak, and went on to clinch his 70th win of the season, to edge ever closer to usurping the world no.1 ranking from Roger Federer, who lost to Murray in yesterday's semi-final.

Thrills and spills at the season final of the Porsche Mobil 1 Supercup in Monza - and a formidable René Rast as the big winner: At the wheel of his 450 hp Porsche 911 GT3 Cup fielded by the Lechner Racing team, the title defender from Germany clinched his fifth victory of the season on the Grand Prix circuit in the Royal Park – and earned himself his third straight championship title in the world's fastest international one-make race series.

In the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza, all signs indicated an unforgettable finale. The five drivers who had travelled to Italy still with title chances, lined up on the first five grid spots for the race. Suspense guaranteed. Holding the best cards in the title fight were René Rast and Frenchman Kévin Estre (Hermes Attempto Racing), who sat at the top of the points' table separated by just one point. But their pursuers weren't about to give up. Especially Norbert Siedler who still believed he had a chance: Taking up the sprint from pole position, the Austrian driving for VELTINS Lechner Racing immediately took the lead, but despite running on new tyres was unable to build a decisive gap. Britain's Sean Edwards (Konrad Motorsport) overtook Kévin Estre shortly after the start and glued himself to the bumper of the front runner. Behind the Frenchman came René Rast in fourth.