IT'S UP FOR GRABS NOW

The Observer:

Almost eight years ago, a 20-year-old near-unknown came on as a substitute on the opening day of the season at Villa Park and scored for Manchester United. It was, however, only a consolation goal because a group of young United players were already 3-0 down. The game was stunned by such a defeat for the champions. 'You win nothing with kids,' said Alan Hansen.

Yesterday, David Beckham returned to the scene with those kids who have since gone on to win everything in club football and scored again, this time a goal to win the game and maintain the pursuit of Arsenal in United's quest for their first trophy for two years.

It was a slightly fortuitous win. Villa created more chances in a remarkably open match full of them, playing some of the brighter football in the process, but their finishing was wayward and wasteful.

United were without the injured Roy Keane and Juan Sebastian Veron yesterday and needed manful performances from those former kids. In Beckham and Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt in solid support, they got it on a day when Ruud van Nistelrooy was in profligate mood.

Sir Alex Ferguson felt that his team needed eight more wins to lift the Premier-ship again following their narrow victory over Aston Villa. By 5pm yesterday, though, by which time Arsenal had lost, he may have been revising his target. The race is on.

The tone for the match was set from the off, as both teams looked intent on attacking. Following a frantic opening, Manchester United created the first opportunity, as David Beckham latched on to a low Ole Gunnar Solskjaer cross from the left side of the Villa box, but saw his rather lazy attempted tap-in saved by Stefan Postma, who had replaced the error- prone Peter Enckelman in goal. "I definitely should have scored that one," the England captain conceded after the game.

Creating chances is one thing, but putting them away is crucial, especially against United. Ferguson's men are masters at hitting teams on the break and they nearly doubled their advantage on the stroke of half-time when Ruud van Nistelrooy brought a clever Beckham ball under control before teeing up Solskjaer. The Norwegian international was unmarked on the penalty spot but stabbed his shot over the bar.

What do you tell your players at half-time when they are creating chances but not scoring? That was the question facing Taylor during the interval. His troops re-emerged seemingly determined to make their chances count. Six minutes after the break, Vassell chased down the ball and then sent in an excellent cross towards Dublin, but his header was brilliantly palmed away by Barthez. Moments later, the unorthodox goalkeeper was at it again, this time tipping over Wright's left-foot half-volley from just outside the area.

Taylor looked for a romantic solution by introducing the former Manchester United trainee Stephen Cooke, but it was to no avail. United, it would seem, are ready to fight for this title all the way.

On the ground where they began their march to a unique treble by overcoming Arsenal four years ago, Manchester United kept alive their hopes of a paltry pair. So lean have times become for the club - 18 months and not a trophy - that they have only the Premiership and European titles left to contest this season, poor things.

Before resuming Champions League hostilities in earnest when the knockout stages begin at the end of this month, Sir Alex Ferguson's team can do no more than increase the domestic pressure on Arsenal. They have eight Premiership matches left and Ferguson, with the cockiness of an Arsene Wenger, declared: "If we win them, we'll win the title - and we're perfectly capable of doing that."

This, earned by David Beckham's early goal, was a merited, if less than imperious, victory over an Aston Villa side whose mathematical exercises are increasingly being turned to the matter of relegation; it would be quite a feat to go down from the mid-table position Villa occupied six weeks ago, but four consecutive defeats are never good for a team's sense of security, even if they have a manager as experienced as Graham Taylor.

They did not play at all badly against United and had, in Gareth Barry, a more plausible candidate for man of the match than Mikael Silvestre, Sky television's choice. That Fabien Barthez, the United goalkeeper, was also prominent on the short-list said much for the brightness of Villa's attack in all aspects but the art of finishing. It also testified to a patchy display by the United rearguard, at the heart of which Rio Ferdinand, the world's most expensive defender, gave one of his less elegant exhibitions.

The Times:

United closed to within two points of Arsenal with this scrappy win at windswept Villa Park, and believe they will regain the championship if they can defeat the leaders at Highbury on April 15.

United’s best players were Fabien Barthez and Mikael Silvestre, which was indicative of the balance of play. They had to do a lot of defending, and needed the goalkeeper to get them out of trouble on several occasions.

Sky TV chose Silvestre, some newspapers went for Barthez, but my man of the match was Gareth Barry, whose outstanding form on the left of Villa’s midfield warrants his promotion to the senior England squad, to be announced next weekend.