"I thought we were the better team apart from a 15-minute spell at half-time when Villa got the ball into our box from free-kicks and corners and caused a lot of problems," Fergie said after the game.
"Apart from that, we weren't in danger.
"I was pleased with the effort we put in against an aggressive and determined team who defended for their lives.
"Our possession was good and we created the chances. Wayne Rooney and Ji-Sung Park had good chances.
"With the amount of possession we had at the end I thought another chance must come along, but they held on."