Liverpool striker Luis Suarez has accepted a violent conduct charge from the FA after biting Chelsea's Branislav Ivanovic in Sunday's Premier League draw at Anfield. However, the Uruguayan is ready to contest the length of any ban imposed by the FA. "Luis Suarez has today accepted a charge of violent conduct," read a statement released by the FA on Tuesday. "However, Suarez has denied the FA's claim that the standard punishment of three matches is clearly insufficient for this offence.

By Mike Collett LONDON (Reuters) - Every player dreams of scoring a stunner that clinches a title, but only special players like Robin van Persie have the vision, skill and ice-cold blood of a nerveless goalscorer to do it for real. The 29-year-old Dutchman turned the dream into reality after 13 minutes of Manchester United's 3-0 win over Aston Villa at Old Trafford on Monday by scoring a memorable second of a first-half hat-trick as United went on to clinch their 20th league title.

Leading scorers in the English Premier League after Monday's match: 24: van Persie (Manchester United) 23: Suarez (Liverpool) 18: Bale (Tottenham) 17: Michu (Swansea City) 15: Ba (Newcastle/Chelsea), Benteke (Aston Villa) 14: Lambert (Southampton) 13: Berbatov (Fulham), Lukaku (West Bromwich) 12: Cazorla (Arsenal), Dzeko (Manchester City), Lampard (Chelsea), Rooney (Manchester United) 11: Defoe (Tottenham), Fellaini (Everton), Fletcher (Sunderland), Giroud (Arsenal), Tevez (Manchester City), Walcott (Arsenal)

Manchester United won the Premier League title race on Monday, cantering to the finish line with four games still to play. Here, AFP Sports looks at the twists and turns in the battle for the English crown over the last nine months of the 2012-13 campaign: AUGUST United's bid to wrestle the title back from Manchester City starts in tame fashion with a lacklustre display in a 1-0 defeat at Everton, 24 hours after the champions kick off with a 3-2 home win over newly promoted Southampton.