Manchester United 0-1 West Bromwich Albion : 5 Talking Points

Manchester City have been confirmed as Premier League Champions, after arch-rivals and second-placed Manchester United, suffered a shock defeat to bottom side West Bromwich Albion at Old Trafford.

Jay Rodriguez's header after the hosts failed to clear a corner, was enough to seal all three points for the Baggies, who keep their slim chances of avoiding relegation alive.

Here are the talking points from an extraordinary game at Old Trafford:

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#5 Relegation-doomed Albion show fighting spirit

Hegazi (right) was a rock in

defence

West Bromwich Albion may be doomed to the drop, but their performance at Old Trafford suggested that there was still some fuel left in their tanks.

Playing with a virtual back six, where the wingers played as wide full-backs, the league's wooden spoon holders covered most areas in defence, ensuring that the likes of Alexis Sanchez struggled to get into space in the box.

Ahmed Hegazi was immense at center-back, getting in the way of crosses and shots aplenty throughout the course of the game.

Romelu Lukaku was denied a chance to get a clean shot away at goal, and United were consigned to long balls in the closing stages in order to grab an equalizer.

It was a job well done by caretaker manager Darren Moore (a former centre-back himself), in organizing his side defensively and frustrating their hosts.

#2 Ben Foster displays heroics yet again at Old Trafford

Foster scrambles out of his line to deny Lukaku

West Bromwich defended resolutely, but if one man deserved a majority of the credit for tying down United, it was their former custodian, Ben Foster, again.

The veteran goalkeeper continued from where he left off from his match-saving performance in a 0-0 draw a year ago on this ground, pulling off miraculous saves and making excellent decisions with the ball at his feet.

His diving one-handed save to parry Romelu Lukaku's header wide of the post was almost de Gea-esque in its reflexes and timing of the dive, as he was moving in the other direction as the header was planted.

Earlier in the first half, he rushed out of his line to deny Lukaku the chance to dink the ball over his head by cramping him for room. He made important catches during the course of the game to neutralize the threat coming from crosses.

He made a last-minute save from a Chris Smalling header to ensure the points were in the bag. It would be a surprise to nobody if he bagged the Man of the Match award for yet another brilliant display in between the sticks.

#3 United's set-piece defending comes in the firing line... again

Lukaku failed to mark Rodriguez

Jose Mourinho's side may be dominating the possession and 'chances created' columns regularly, as most top teams would usually do.

However, their defending from set-pieces has been their Achilles Heel all season, a department that has cost them points and ultimately, the title.

Conceding late to Leicester to lose a lead, gifting Newcastle the three points at St. James' Park, the now-champions City winning at Old Trafford in December, to open up a wide gap between first and second place, were just a handful of situations where United would have wanted to reflect in terms of man-marking and overall defense against the dead ball.

West Bromwich Albion's goal, not surprisingly, from a corner yet again, deservedly delivered the inevitable knockout punch to the red half of Manchester, as if to sum up their season.

Nemanja Matic headed a Baggies' corner under pressure from an opposition player back into the crowd of players in and around the 6-yard area, only for Rodriguez to peel away from Romelu Lukaku and heading into the corner past a rooted de Gea to send the away fans into jubilation and assist City to get both hands on their title.

They may be going down, but not without making a telling contribution in officially crowning City as champions.

#4 United must be more ruthless against defensive-minded teams

Lukaku was left frustrated

United's woes have not so much come against the teams from top six, as against sides who come up against the Old Trafford outfit with the objective of coming away with a point.

Defeats against newly-promoted Huddersfield and Newcastle, an undeserved victory against Brighton, in November via an own-goal, and now a morale-damaging defeat against lowly West Bromwich Albion could all be seen as missed opportunities by Jose Mourinho's side and have ultimately accumulated to conceding the title to their neighbours with a month of the season still to play.

United's occasional reluctance to take the game by the scruff of the next and wear out their opponents despite bossing possession have often come back to bite them.

Today's performance against the league's basement outfit was another example of such a case. Alexis Sanchez's tendency to drive himself with the ball rather than maneuver it through the defence takes the sting out of an attack and ultimately cramps him for room.

Lukaku's first touch, despite his recent good form, still needs improving and the overall finish isn't clinical enough to seal games.

In the end, United were consigned to long balls and crosses in reaction to going behind. West Bromwich Albion were set up for exactly that kind of a situation, helping them grab an unlikely victory to put the title race to bed, once and for all.

#5 Jay Rodriguez's performance deserved a goal

Jay Rodriguez scored the winner at Old Trafford

Although the goal may have come as a surprise to many, the goalscorer Jay Rodriguez, got nothing more than he deserved for an outstanding performance.

He was pivotal in getting West Bromwich Albion out of trouble with sprinting counter-attacks to help release the pressure.

He laid off balls to the likes of Solomon Rondon, in order to open up a chance and got close on a couple of occasions.

His peak moment came in the 72nd minute, losing his marker in Romelu Lukaku to head in the loose ball and send Old Trafford into shock and get the crowd to come to the realization that the Champions' tag would soon be bestowed on rival territory.

Rodriguez's performance was invaluable for a side who were mostly set up to frustrate the opposition and rely on a six-man defence, as their best opportunity to get a result out of the game.

He helped his side defend the lead in the dying stages as well, making it a near-perfect display from the ex-Saints forward.