Although this was a highly anticipated clash between two strong teams, New Manchester United had controlled the match from the opening minute.
They dictated both the rhythm and momentum, constantly forcing Portsmouth onto the back foot.
Harry Redknapp's plan was clear.
He wanted his players to disrupt New Manchester United's build-up through aggressive pressing and physical pressure in midfield.
It did not take long for him to realise that the approach was far more difficult than expected.
New Manchester United played with greater flexibility and variety than he had anticipated.
Portsmouth had specifically selected two strong defensive midfielders, but the Red Rebels rarely attacked directly through the zones those two were protecting.
Instead, they moved the ball patiently from side to side, constantly shifting Portsmouth's defensive block and forcing their players to run.
Portsmouth remained resilient.
During the opening stages, their pressing was fierce and they successfully disrupted several attacks.
But whenever they won possession, New Manchester United immediately pressed to recover it.
Drogba.
Robben.
Hleb.
Kaká.
Every member of the front four reacted aggressively the moment the ball was lost.
That made it extremely difficult for Portsmouth to build any rhythm of their own.
Several times, they won possession only to surrender it seconds later.
Even when they managed to protect the ball initially, their counter-attacks were quickly broken up, forcing them to pass backwards and rebuild from deep.
From the stands, Cesc could clearly see how fluid New Manchester United were.
His first impression was that the players executed Mourinho's tactical instructions exceptionally well.
His second was even more important.
They understood the system completely.
Everyone looked confident.
Even when surrounded by aggressive pressure, nobody panicked.
As a footballer himself, Cesc understood exactly what that meant.
Trust.
A player could receive the ball under pressure from two or three opponents because he believed one of his teammates would move into space.
And the teammate making that run trusted that the man in possession would find him.
That mutual understanding allowed New Manchester United to circulate the ball smoothly even under pressure.
Portsmouth struggled to win it back cleanly.
And when they lost possession themselves, they immediately retreated into shape.
The consequence was obvious.
Under New Manchester United's counter-press, Portsmouth's transitions were almost completely suffocated.
Juninho's role was equally clear.
When New Manchester United attacked, he stepped forward.
When they defended, he dropped back.
With the ball, he helped initiate attacks.
Without it, he constantly moved to provide support.
That did not mean Juninho carried an unusually heavy workload compared with everyone else.
Every player had important responsibilities.
Juninho simply handled some of the most influential ones.
That was why he was regarded as the team's midfield core.
Even so, Portsmouth were far from weak.
Once they committed fully to defending, breaking them down became difficult.
Despite New Manchester United controlling most of the first half, the score remained 1-0 at the interval.
...
"I always assumed English teams relied much more heavily on physical football," Díaz said as the players left the pitch.
"I didn't expect New Manchester United to be this technical."
Their football combined aggression with intelligence.
Physical strength with technique.
Structure with flexibility.
It had been eye-opening.
"Juninho really is the heart of this team," Díaz continued.
"His influence is enormous.
"Now I understand why so many major European clubs rate him so highly."
A large part of New Manchester United's success in reaching both the FA Cup final and UEFA Cup final had been attributed to Juninho's rise and Kaká's arrival.
Juninho had been at the club for years.
His development had been obvious throughout that period.
Over the previous two seasons, his performances had become increasingly influential.
This year, he was arguably playing the best football of his career.
Before the season had even begun, some newspapers had already joked that New Manchester United suffered from "Juninho dependency."
Kaká brought something different.
He connected the attack.
His own attacking ability was exceptional, but so were his final pass and understanding with teammates.
Whenever opponents concentrated too heavily on Drogba or the two wingers, Kaká's late runs from midfield often broke the defensive structure apart.
Mourinho had once described him as the final missing piece in New Manchester United's attack.
His arrival had given the team another level of aggression and control.
"Mr. Yu told me their objective next season won't simply be survival," Cesc said thoughtfully.
Before watching this match, he might have dismissed that as the ambition of an enthusiastic promoted club.
Now?
If New Manchester United were only good enough to fight relegation, then the Premier League must be terrifyingly strong.
There was, however, one danger.
Mentality.
Ethan had already discussed that with Mourinho.
Many promoted teams struggled not because they lacked ability, but because their mentality changed after reaching the Premier League.
They became too cautious.
Too afraid of losing.
Ethan wanted Mourinho to make sure New Manchester United did not fall into the same trap.
"They'll be playing in the UEFA Cup again next season too," Díaz said.
"And did you notice Portsmouth's players walking off?
"They already looked exhausted."
Cesc nodded.
Defending deeply did not necessarily require less energy than attacking.
In many cases, the opposite was true.
A team constantly reacting to pressure carried enormous mental strain.
That psychological pressure often translated into physical fatigue.
"The second half will decide it," Cesc said.
...
Neither manager made major changes at the interval.
Redknapp kept his quick striker on the pitch.
Clearly, he was still hoping Portsmouth could find one successful counter-attack.
But every time they entered New Manchester United's half, the move seemed to end almost immediately.
An interception.
A clearance.
A tactical foul.
A blocked passing lane.
Twice, Portsmouth were caught offside.
They could not establish sustained pressure.
New Manchester United, meanwhile, continued to use their advantage patiently.
They did not rush.
They controlled possession.
They created openings.
Juninho remained especially influential, constantly adjusting the tempo.
Then came the 52nd minute.
Drogba dropped away from the defensive line and laid the ball back to Juninho.
Juninho immediately found Kaká near the edge of the penalty area.
For once, the Brazilian had space.
He turned.
Looked up.
Then threaded a perfectly weighted pass through Portsmouth's defence.
Drogba had already started his run.
He beat the offside trap.
Entered the penalty area.
And smashed his finish beyond the goalkeeper.
Goal!
2-0!
Redknapp sat expressionless on the bench.
There was little he could do about it now.
Kaká should never have been allowed that much space.
The area in front of him was supposed to be protected by one of Portsmouth's holding midfielders.
But by the time Kaká received the ball, the player responsible for him had already been dragged away.
If a midfielder had been positioned in front of Kaká at that moment, the through ball would have been far more difficult to play.
What frustrated Redknapp most, however, was Juninho.
His forward movement had drawn the defensive midfielder away from Kaká.
Then Juninho himself had delivered the pass that created the opening.
Two goals down, Redknapp finally accepted what he had been reluctant to admit.
The match was effectively lost.
No opponent had ever come back from two goals down to win at New Manchester United's home ground.
Redknapp was not giving up because he lacked courage.
He could have thrown on another striker and attacked recklessly.
But his experience told him exactly what would happen.
Portsmouth would expose themselves.
And New Manchester United would punish them brutally.
After considering his options, Redknapp chose caution.
He made two substitutions in quick succession.
One striker came off for a defender.
It looked almost like an admission that Portsmouth were no longer chasing the match.
Then one exhausted defensive midfielder was replaced by another.
Both changes were defensive.
And they worked to some extent.
New Manchester United's attacking momentum slowed.
Mourinho, meanwhile, also had to think about the two remaining league fixtures.
He began rotating.
Yaya Touré replaced Juninho.
Ribéry came on for Kaká.
After the substitutions, the match lost some of its earlier intensity.
The tempo remained high, but New Manchester United continued to control the game comfortably.
Portsmouth fought hard.
They never stopped running.
But they created almost nothing.
If anything, New Manchester United came closer to scoring again.
Villa, who replaced Drogba, even found himself one-on-one inside the penalty area.
A Portsmouth centre-back shoved him to the ground.
Under different circumstances, it might easily have been given as a penalty.
But with New Manchester United already two goals ahead and little time remaining, the referee waved play on.
...
When the final whistle sounded, New Manchester United moved one point above Portsmouth and returned to the top of the First Division.
Only two league matches remained.
One more victory would guarantee the championship.
On paper, there was still work to do.
Sheffield Wednesday.
Derby County.
Neither was among the division's strongest teams.
Sheffield Wednesday were deep in the relegation battle.
Derby had little left to play for.
Given New Manchester United's current form, winning at least one of those matches should not have been especially difficult.
But there was still danger.
And the biggest threat came from Sheffield Wednesday.
They sat 22nd in the table, four points behind 21st-placed Coventry.
However, Sheffield Wednesday still had two matches remaining.
If they defeated New Manchester United, the gap would shrink to just one point.
Coventry's final fixture was against Portsmouth.
Sheffield Wednesday, meanwhile, would host the much weaker Rotherham.
That made the match against New Manchester United absolutely crucial.
Portsmouth knew it too.
Their hopes now rested on Sheffield Wednesday.
They needed a desperate relegation-threatened side to fight for its life and, ideally, become the first team to conquer New Manchester United at home.
And Sheffield Wednesday certainly played like a team with everything at stake.
Their intensity was excellent.
New Manchester United were also beginning to feel the effects of playing twice a week.
Their physical condition was not perfect.
For one period, Sheffield Wednesday even took control of the match.
For the first time, there was genuine hope among the visitors.
Then Cristiano Ronaldo changed everything.
Near the edge of the penalty area, he drove at two defenders.
One of them brought him down.
The referee immediately awarded the free kick.
There was no argument.
Juninho stepped forward.
One strike.
Goal.
1-0!
Sheffield Wednesday had no choice but to attack.
They pushed more players forward.
Before half-time, Kaká punished them.
The Brazilian collected the ball centrally, drove past his marker, and unleashed a powerful long-range shot.
Goal.
2-0!
The title was getting closer.
In the second half, Cristiano Ronaldo finished the job himself.
He received the ball with two defenders closing him down.
A quick change of direction.
Then another.
Somehow, he slipped between them.
He accelerated into the penalty area.
The goalkeeper rushed out.
Cristiano remained composed.
He calmly rolled the ball into the far corner.
3-0!
Another victory.
And this time, the result meant more than three points.
New Manchester United were champions of the First Division.
(To be continued.)