West Ham United completed an incredible comeback this afternoon to finish the season staying in the Premiership with a hard-earned 1-0 win against a full-strength Manchester United side.
A solitary goal from Carlos Tevez and an outstanding goalkeeping display from Rob Green put a dampner on the Premiership Champions' title party on a rainy afternoon at Old Trafford.
In the sixth minute Wayne Rooney was judged to have been fouled and United were awarded a free-kick. Rooney swung the ball in from 30 yards but it was deflected out for a corner which James Collins got his head to.
Yossi Benayoun went on a darting run moments later and was tripped by Darren Fletcher on the halfway line. George McCartney played the free-kick up the field but it was too long for Bobby Zamora.
The Hammers striker nearly ran onto Nigel Reo-Coker's through ball after ten minutes but van der Sar collected.
Moments later Rooney picked up the ball in the area and cut it back but Reo-Coker intercepted. United were awarded a free-kick as the Hammers captain was judged to have bundled over Fletcher. Gabriel Heinze's take catapulted off the Hammers' wall and out of play.
Mark Noble played a long ball over the top to Zamora but Patrice Evra got there first and the Hammers were awarded a corner. The initial corner was cleared but Tevez played the ball back into the far post but Zamora was denied but van der Sar.
John O'Shea played in Rooney but Collins was on hand to block the shot in the 22nd minute and there was another nervy moment minutes later as Rooney found space to shoot but it trickled wide.
United continued to threaten and Rooney played a dangerous ball across the box but Ole Gunnar Solskjaer flicked it above the target.
Benayoun dribbled up the pitch and passed to Zamora but his cross to the far post was headed away by Wes Brown.
Minutes later McCartney went down clutching his knee and was replaced by Jonathan Spector, whose first touch was an excellent block to deny Alan Smith a shot on target. The USA defender was briefly winded.
United continued to look dangerous and Hammers cleared the ball off the line twice in quick succession. Benayoun headed Smith's goal-bound shot off the line and the ball fell to Keiran Richardson whose shot Benayoun again blocked and Reo-Coker and Collins combined to clear.
Hammers were denied a penalty as Tevez's shot was blocked in the box by Brown, seemingly with his hands.
Green produced an outstanding save with just less than five minutes to go before the break to palm John O'Shea's powerful header over the bar.
In first-half injury time Tevez fired the Hammers into the lead. After playing a one-two with Zamora, the Argentine forward slotted it past van der Sar.
United had their first corner of the second half five minutes after the restart. Carrick played the ball in but Collins headed clear.
Hammers carved out a chance minutes later as Benyoun ran up the pitch and played the ball across the box to Tevez but his shot was wide.
Collins was on hand to clear Roooney's dangerous cut-back in the box ten minutes into the second half.
With nerves jangling there was an ominous-looking triple substitution from Sir Alex Ferguson as he brought on Cristiano Ronaldo, Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs with just over half an hour left to play.
Zamora was replaced by Harewood in the 62nd minute but United came forward again. Lucas Neill accidentally flicked the ball back into his own box but Spector cleared off the line.
Luis Boa Morte had a good chance seconds later after latching onto a ball from Reo-Coker but it travelled wide. United went straight up the pitch and Rooney pulled the trigger with a fierce drive, prompting Green to make a fingertip save.
Collins was booked in the 68th minute for showing his studs as he slid in to nick the ball from Rooney's feet. Ronaldo's free-kick cannoned off the wall and Hammers broke with Reo-Coker but his cross for Harewood was too close to van der Sar and the United keeper collected.
With 16 minutes left Tevez was booked for a foul on his compatriot Heinze. A minute later Giggs played in a corner and Green made an excellent save to deny Ronaldo a goal with a downward header.
Green denied the Portuguese winger moments later and he darted across the pitch and fired in a low drive 25 yards from goal. The Hammers keeper kept Ronaldo out again after he found space to shoot but Green blocked.
O'Shea skipped into the box and Boa Morte slid in and Green came out again to smother as referee Mike Atkinson waved away penalty appeals.
With eight minutes left, Hayden Mullins came onto replace Tevez. As the clock ticked down to the 87th minute, Harewood had a low drive fumbled out of play by van der Sar. With 20 seconds left of the 90 minutes Ronaldo curled in a dangerous shot but it flew wide of the mark.
Green made another excellent save in injury time as Scholes fired in a shot from distance but the Hammers keeper tipped it past the post as Alan Curbishley's side held on for their fourth consecutive victory.
Manchester United: van der Sar; O'Shea, Heinze, Brown (c), Evra (Giggs, 58); Rooney,, Fletcher, Carrick (Scholes, 58), Richardson; Solskjaer, Smith (Ronaldo, 58).
Subs not used: Vidic, Kusczak.
West Ham United: Green; Neill, Ferdinand, Collins, McCartney (Spector, 29); Benayoun, Noble, Reo-Coker (c) Boa Morte; Tevez (Mullins, 82), Zamora (Harewood, 62). Subs not used: Walker, Davenport.