Man United 3 Aston Villa 0: CHAMPIONS! It's Robin's Victory Parade as hat-trick takes United to the title - now will Dutchman clean up with Footballer of the Year award and Golden Boot (he's one goal ahead of Suarez)?

By Martin Samuel

PUBLISHED: 15:49 EST, 22 April 2013 | UPDATED: 05:49 EST, 23 April 2013

CHAMPIONS ONCE MORE

Rio Ferdinand grabbed the back of the shirt, spreading out the number for the cameras. 'Number 20,' he shouted. 'Number 20!'

And there it was. The magic figure: 20 Van Persie, 20 titles. Manchester United bought one to land the other, and the plan worked.

It didn’t matter who scored the goals that won the match, Robin Van Persie said, but he was wrong.

Scroll down to watch highlights and dressing room celebrations

Proud: Robin van Persie holds up his No 20 shirt after Manchester United claim their 20th league title

Let the party begin: A bare-chested Rio Ferdinand bounces around in the dressing room

Time for champers: Sir Alex Ferguson pops the cork in front of his tactics board

Time to celebrate: Manchester United were crowned champions after a 3-0 win against Aston Villa on Monday

In the mix: Rio Ferdinand joins in with the team as they party on the pitch after the full-time whistle

Job done: Patrice Evra claps the Old Trafford crowd after helping his side to their 20th League title

Legend: Sir Alex Ferguson salutes the crowd after the resounding victory at the Theatre of Dreams

It did matter, because contained here was the essence of this campaign.

United lost the league last May on goal difference and responded by buying Arsenal’s striker, their captain and the Footballer of the Year.

If that makes it sound easy, it isn’t. If every big-money signing guaranteed success, Fernando Torres would not have developed into a £50m millstone around managerial necks at Chelsea.

Van Persie and United have shown how it should be done. He settled in quickly, they brought the best from him, and last night a first-half hat-trick sealed a 20th championship for the club.

Even before the game, flags commemorating the occasion were on sale. CHAMP20NS, they read. A similar item looked better ten titles back, in 1996, the legend CHAMP10NS a more striking image.

Most worryingly for their rivals is the time elapsed.

Let the party begin: Manchester United players celebrate their 20th title in the dressing room

Champagne moment: Rio Ferdinand cracks open the bubbles after United's triumph

Relief: Robin van Persie holds his arms aloft after securing the title for Manchester United

Out with a bang: Robin van Persie's second goal was a joy to behold and set United on course

One hand on the trophy: Van Persie celebrates scoring his hat-trick goal after 33 minutes

Numbers one to ten took 88 years. Numbers 11 to 20, just 17. It will be painful at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday if Arsenal form the guard of honour for their opponents: more so if Van Persie is among the lauded.

Here was a performance that brooked no argument, though. A poor year, a weak league, a rotten defence by Manchester City, the many niggles faded like mist in the night air. Any team that can put the trophy on the mantelpiece a full eight days before the end of April is worthy of respect.

And United were superb against Aston Villa; Van Persie exceptional. From the 94th second when he scored his first, to the second half when he cleared a rare Villa chance from the line, there was never any doubt.

Some would argue the same could be said of the moment Van Persie put pen to paper as a United player.

Roberto Mancini for instance. He said Van Persie could decide the title in United’s favour and he was right. Whether City were ever genuine competitors for his signature is debatable.

Credit where it's due: Van Persie picks Wayne Rooney up after he picked the Dutchman out for his wonder goal

Early doors: Van Persie scored his first after just two minutes on the pitch

Three and easy: Van Persie showed great composure to score United's third goal of the night

Sir Alex Ferguson told confidantes two years ago that Van Persie was the one great player left at Arsenal, and that he could get him at any time.

Seeing the title go to City last season might have crystallised those thoughts and last night made the logic irrefutable.

Van Persie destroyed Villa to steer United over the line at a trot. Nobody wins the title waving and throwing roses to the crowd, it is said, although United came close.

  VIDEO   Ferguson hails Van Persie's impact on team

Ferguson praises Van Persie

It helped that they had five chances to get the three points, but even Sir Alex looked uncommonly calm prior to kick-off, still signing autographs after the match had started. He put his pen away just in time to see his team take the lead.

Antonio Valencia carried the ball down the right and laid it back to Rafael, whose cross appeared to have been struck too deep. The curl on the ball kept it in, however, and Ryan Giggs played the ball back across goal for Van Persie to tap it in.

Touching: Ferguson hugs his star man after the full-time whistle

Don't forget us: Tom Cleverley (centre right) and Danny Welbeck get in on the act too

Party time began from there, a surprisingly rare occasion considering this is Ferguson’s 13th league title. Of those, just three have been clinched with a victory at Old Trafford, so this was a night to remember.

Ferguson has won the title on a golf course, on a treadmill at the gym and watching snooker on television.

His reaction at the conclusion, joining his players for a bit of singing and bouncing, confirmed this as a special occasion. Inspired by it, United could have been 4-0 up inside 10 minutes.

United’s second goal came after 13 minutes and had it been the only one of the night, this would still have gone down as a vintage performance. Sir Alex compared it to the greatest goals scored in his time at Old Trafford and he was not exaggerating.

It was a stunning strike, perfectly set-up, perfectly executed,  perfectly combining the  talents of Wayne Rooney and Van Persie.

Give us a wave: Ferguson knows he has one hand on the trophy with a few minutes to play

Get that changed: This banner will have to be replaced before the next game at Old Trafford

The difference? Van Persie and United played some of their best football of the season in the first half

Demanding: Sir Alex Ferguson encouraged his side to continue to press against Villa

Tussle: Nathan Baker appears to climb on the back of United's Shinji Kagawa when they vie for the ball

Rooney picked up the ball deep in his half and played a brilliant through ball, arguably the pass of the season, and it was met by Van Persie, outstripping Villa’s defence, for a first-time volley on the run that planted itself low in the corner of Brad Guzan’s net.

Video footage showed an identikit shot from Van Persie for Arsenal against Everton last season. It was a simple goal, one pass, one shot, but it showed direct football at its most beautiful – the long ball made poetic.

Except Rooney didn’t hit a ball: he played a pass. And maybe he offered a clue to his future at Old Trafford.

This has not been his greatest season and even Ferguson has taken to issuing warnings about his place in the team. Yet in recent matches, Rooney has been reinvented as a midfield player, and here was proof it could work.

Raging: Ferguson was still on the touchline in the second half urging his players to up their game

Quiet night? David de Gea had little to do but celebrate Van Persie's brilliance in the first half

Danger man: Van Persie (centre) ran riot in the first period as Villa scrambled to contain him

Nightmare start: Aston Villa manager Paul Lambert took his side in 3-0 down at half-time

In attendance: Manchester United owners the Glazers were at Old Trafford for the occasion

Rooney was superb in a deeper central role, always available, always ambitious. When he was substituted after 71 minutes it was to warm and justified applause, not worried sideways glances.
Van Persie’s hat-trick goal also made him the Premier League top scorer this season.

Kagawa found Giggs who drove the ball into the penalty area and squared to Van Persie for what looked a simple conversion.

Then, a complication. Van Persie appeared to get the ball trapped beneath his feet. Others would have panicked. He rebalanced, took a couple of touches and somehow lofted the ball high into the net with four Aston Villa defenders plus goalkeeper Guzan between himself and the target.

It was  precisely what a fee of £24m is  supposed to buy.

Indeed, as one prime candidate withdraws from the running for Footballer of the Year, so Van Persie reacquaints us with the identity of the most influential player this season. Luis Suarez and Gareth Bale have propelled their clubs forward, but Van Persie defined the title race.

Remember this: Van Persie scored a similar goal for Arsenal last season against Everton

Hard work: Christian Benteke (right) had a big task playing up front on his own for Villa

When Tiger Woods won his fourth consecutive major, the 2001 US Masters, he was asked if it should count as a Grand Slam being spread over two seasons (three prizes in 2000, one in 2001). He said if a player could put all four trophies on his coffee table at once, as far as he was concerned, it was a slam.

And United will endure a comparable debate about the quality of the 2012-13 Premier League over the next few weeks. If they finish with a record total of points – and they can if they win the four remaining games – it will be considered as much a sign of general weakness as United’s strength.

Yet the fact is they can, metaphorically if not  literally, put the cup on the coffee table on the night of April 22, five weeks short of season’s end. Tiger would most certainly understand. In football terms, that’s a slam.

Never in doubt: United fans hold up flags and scarves before the match against Aston Villa

  VIDEO   Watch highlights of Manchester United's 3-0 win over Aston Villa