This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/6185625.stm
The article has changed 5 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Aston Villa 0-3 Man Utd | Aston Villa 0-3 Man Utd |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| Manchester United returned to form with a convincing victory at Aston Villa. | Manchester United returned to form with a convincing victory at Aston Villa. |
| Villa were unfortunate not to take the lead when Craig Gardner headed against a post before United took control. | Villa were unfortunate not to take the lead when Craig Gardner headed against a post before United took control. |
| Cristiano Ronaldo lashed home the opener after a great solo run before Paul Scholes crashed home an unstoppable 25-yard volley. | Cristiano Ronaldo lashed home the opener after a great solo run before Paul Scholes crashed home an unstoppable 25-yard volley. |
| United, who started with Wayne Rooney on the bench, added a third when the impressive Ronaldo slid the ball in from a Gary Neville cross. | United, who started with Wayne Rooney on the bench, added a third when the impressive Ronaldo slid the ball in from a Gary Neville cross. |
| Interview: Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill Interview: Man Utd assistant boss Carlos Quieroz | Interview: Aston Villa boss Martin O'Neill Interview: Man Utd assistant boss Carlos Quieroz |
| Before the game, former Villa manager Ron Saunders was given a standing ovation on his first return to the ground in over 20 years. | Before the game, former Villa manager Ron Saunders was given a standing ovation on his first return to the ground in over 20 years. |
| Saunders, 74, won the league as Villa boss in 1981 using just 14 players during the entire season but quit because of a contract dispute before the team won the European Cup a year later. | Saunders, 74, won the league as Villa boss in 1981 using just 14 players during the entire season but quit because of a contract dispute before the team won the European Cup a year later. |
| United, who were without the injured Michael Carrick, found life difficult as Villa started the brighter of the sides in what was the first of three meetings in as many weeks. | United, who were without the injured Michael Carrick, found life difficult as Villa started the brighter of the sides in what was the first of three meetings in as many weeks. |
| 606: DEBATE Fergie asked the players to show their mettle, and they did just that GE 606: Have your say | 606: DEBATE Fergie asked the players to show their mettle, and they did just that GE 606: Have your say |
| The home side - with Gabriel Agbonlahor pushed up alongside Chris Sutton in attack - were unlucky not to take a 15th-minute lead when Gareth Barry's free-kick was flicked on by Sutton to Gardner, whose header came back off the post. | The home side - with Gabriel Agbonlahor pushed up alongside Chris Sutton in attack - were unlucky not to take a 15th-minute lead when Gareth Barry's free-kick was flicked on by Sutton to Gardner, whose header came back off the post. |
| United defender Nemanja Vidic was rightly booked for an awful tackle on Agbonalahor before Park wasted a great chance when he mis-hit a shot when well placed. | United defender Nemanja Vidic was rightly booked for an awful tackle on Agbonalahor before Park wasted a great chance when he mis-hit a shot when well placed. |
| After being slow starters, United gradually got into the game and the fit-again Patrice Evra angled a low drive at goal which on-loan Crystal Palace keeper Gabor Kiraly got down well to keep out. | After being slow starters, United gradually got into the game and the fit-again Patrice Evra angled a low drive at goal which on-loan Crystal Palace keeper Gabor Kiraly got down well to keep out. |
| Ryan Giggs then curled in a corner from the right which was met by Ronaldo but again Kiraly saved. | Ryan Giggs then curled in a corner from the right which was met by Ronaldo but again Kiraly saved. |
| Villa came under more pressure when Giggs released Ronaldo into the left side of the penalty box. The Portugal winger cut inside Aaron Hughes but fired a shot inches wide of the far post with Kiraly beaten. | Villa came under more pressure when Giggs released Ronaldo into the left side of the penalty box. The Portugal winger cut inside Aaron Hughes but fired a shot inches wide of the far post with Kiraly beaten. |
| Saunders was honoured at half-time | Saunders was honoured at half-time |
| New Villa owner Randy Lerner made a presentation to Saunders at half-time, but it was United boss Sir Alex Ferguson who was celebrating as his team took control in the second half. | New Villa owner Randy Lerner made a presentation to Saunders at half-time, but it was United boss Sir Alex Ferguson who was celebrating as his team took control in the second half. |
| They broke the deadlock before the hour mark when Ronaldo ran from the halfway line towards the Villa box. | They broke the deadlock before the hour mark when Ronaldo ran from the halfway line towards the Villa box. |
| He went unchallenged and saw his first shot blocked by Gary Cahill before lashing in the rebound past a helpless Kiraly. | He went unchallenged and saw his first shot blocked by Gary Cahill before lashing in the rebound past a helpless Kiraly. |
| Scholes then scored one of the contenders for goal of the month on 64 minutes when he brilliantly volleyed over Kiraly and into the net from fully 25 yards after a Giggs corner was headed out by Gavin McCann. | Scholes then scored one of the contenders for goal of the month on 64 minutes when he brilliantly volleyed over Kiraly and into the net from fully 25 yards after a Giggs corner was headed out by Gavin McCann. |
| Villa then had to cope with the introduction of Rooney as United looked to turn the screw following their shock 1-0 defeat at West Ham last Sunday. | Villa then had to cope with the introduction of Rooney as United looked to turn the screw following their shock 1-0 defeat at West Ham last Sunday. |
| Scholes picked up his fifth booking of the season before Ronaldo had an effort correctly disallowed for offside as United finished on top. | Scholes picked up his fifth booking of the season before Ronaldo had an effort correctly disallowed for offside as United finished on top. |
| They made it 3-0 with five minutes left when Rooney opened up the stretched Villa defence and found Gary Neville on the right and his slide-rule cross was turned in by man-of-the-match Ronaldo. | They made it 3-0 with five minutes left when Rooney opened up the stretched Villa defence and found Gary Neville on the right and his slide-rule cross was turned in by man-of-the-match Ronaldo. |
| "We lose possession, they score. We've got a lot of young players in the side and that sort of experience will bring them on immensely. | |
| "You make mistakes against top quality sides and you'll remember them." | |
| Aston Villa: Kiraly, Hughes, Mellberg, Cahill, Barry, Agbonlahor, McCann (Angel 76), Gardner, Petrov, Davis, Sutton. Subs Not Used: Olejnik, Baros, Bouma, Ridgewell. | Aston Villa: Kiraly, Hughes, Mellberg, Cahill, Barry, Agbonlahor, McCann (Angel 76), Gardner, Petrov, Davis, Sutton. Subs Not Used: Olejnik, Baros, Bouma, Ridgewell. |
| Booked: McCann, Sutton. | Booked: McCann, Sutton. |
| Man Utd: Van der Sar, Neville, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra, Ronaldo, Fletcher, Park (Rooney 66), Scholes (Silvestre 88), Giggs (O'Shea 88), Saha.Subs Not Used: Kuszczak, Brown. | Man Utd: Van der Sar, Neville, Ferdinand, Vidic, Evra, Ronaldo, Fletcher, Park (Rooney 66), Scholes (Silvestre 88), Giggs (O'Shea 88), Saha.Subs Not Used: Kuszczak, Brown. |
| Booked: Vidic, Scholes. | Booked: Vidic, Scholes. |
| Goals: Ronaldo 58, Scholes 64, Ronaldo 85. | Goals: Ronaldo 58, Scholes 64, Ronaldo 85. |
| Att: 42,551 | Att: 42,551 |
| Ref: S Bennett (Kent). | Ref: S Bennett (Kent). |