Manchester United extended their unbeaten record to 29 Premier League fixtures dating back to April 2010, in a 3-1 home win over Aston Villa. Villa travelled to Old Trafford looking for a fourth consecutive victory in all competitions but were undone within 60 seconds of the kick-off.
Edwin Van der Sar cleared the ball downfield and Wayne Rooney collected the ball as the visitor's defence hesitated to score his fourth of the campaign.
Villa looked comfortable on the ball without really threatening United and it seemed they would reach half-time with only a one goal deficit, until Rooney took charge of proceedings.
Into injury time and Nani's inviting centre was side footed home by the England centre forward to double United's advantage and Villa's record of only winning once in 28 games against Man Utd was on its way to being maintained.
But United relaxed in the second period and just before the hour slack marking at the back allowed the visitor's back into the game as recent signing Darren Bent slotted home unmarked to give Gerard Houllier's side hope.
This lasted all of five minutes before Rooney teed up Nemanja Vidic from a corner to smash home and reclaim a two goal advantage.
Referee: Chris Foy
Venue: Old Trafford
Attendance: 75,256
Man Utd scorers: Rooney 1, 45, Vidic 63
Aston Villa scorers: Bent 58
MAN UTD
01 Van der Sar
03 Evra
05 Ferdinand
15 Vidic
22 O'Shea
11 Giggs
16 Carrick
17 Nani
24 Fletcher (Anderson 34)
09 Berbatov
10 Rooney
Substitutes
34 Lindegaard,
12 Smalling,
20 Fabio Da Silva,
08 Anderson,
18 Scholes,
07 Owen,
14 Hernandez
ASTON VILLA
01 Friedel
05 Dunne
21 Clark
29 Collins
36 Walker
06 Downing (Reo-Coker 80)
07 Young
12 Albrighton (Heskey 69)
17 Makoun
19 Petrov (Agbonlahor 74)
39 Bent
Substitutes
33 Marshall,
24 Cuellar,
08 Pires,
20 Reo-Coker,
11 Agbonlahor,
14 Delfouneso,
18 Heskey
