View From The Broadsheets

Five goals, two sendings-off and one missed penalty. Sir Alex Ferguson described it as 'our best performance of the season', as his side's four-goal comeback against Aston Villa put Manchester United firmly back on the goalscoring map. Wayne Rooney's penalty miss gave rise to the slightest of blushes because once they got going United should have had more. Gabriel Agbonlahor's goal spoiled the Manchester United clean sheet statistics with an unsightly blemish.

Martin O'Neill was furious, though, contesting the sending-off of Nigel Reo-Coker, which had everyone scrambling for Rob Styles' catalogue of bookings so far this season - of which there have been a fair few.

O'Neill said he believed Agbonlahor had deserved a penalty, but could 'understand him not getting that'.

His side had started so brightly, brimming with confidence from four consecutive home victories. But a scintillating first half was followed by two red cards in the second, leaving the team in a desolate state, from which there could be no return.

Going 1-0 down, Manchester United had looked as though they might have a chink in their armour, their run of six clean sheets and six consecutive league victories under threat as Villa played attacking and uninhibited football from the outset. But the visitors responded with three emphatic goals before the half-time break. A stunned Aston Villa left the field wondering what on earth had just hit them.

United let slip an early chance to go ahead from a free-kick in the area. A rampant Ashley Young made the most of the advantage, setting up Luke Moore, who just failed to connect in the box. The home fans didn't have long to wait before Craig Gardner's cross reached Young at the far corner and he returned a killer ball into the box. Agbonlahor rose highest to claim it and headed home before wheeling away with a grin to celebrate his fourth goal in the league this season. A shell-shocked United defence exchanged sullen looks as Villa Park exploded in a deafening roar.

Moore could have made it two as he stole the ball from a nonchalant Rio Ferdinand and raced off to slam into the side netting; and again from a Young cross as an unmarked Moore exposed gaps in United's defence.

But United were not to be overrun and a marvellous comeback inspired three goals in nine minutes. Carlos Tevez played an instrumental role, forcing a fine save from Scott Carson. The visitors' first goal finally came when Nani crossed to Rooney, unmarked at the far post, who tapped one in without a hint of a challenge. Seven minutes later and an exceptional ball from Tevez picked out Rooney, waiting in the area, for the young forward to slot home. In the final moments of the first half, Carson was forced to save from a Gerard Pique header and then scramble a Ferdinand shot, before Gardner fumbled on the line to send United 3-1 up.

Things could only get worse for Villa then, as Carson's challenge on Rooney earned him the home side's second red card of the match. As the Villa players crowded the referee to protest, Stuart Taylor came on and promptly saved Rooney's penalty strike. The super sub followed it with another before Rooney crashed a further effort against the crossbar. Ryan Giggs made it four and substitute Cristiano Ronaldo had a go, prompting a further double save.

The Telegraph

Wayne Rooney is gaining momentum and he's going to take some stopping. The England striker scored twice — he has now found the net in each of his last five games for club and country — as United came from behind to demolish an Aston Villa side who finished the game with nine men.

Nigel Reo-Coker and Scott Carson were sent off with United leading 3-1 and Martin O'Neill's side may well have been relieved to have only conceded one more goal with United looking irrepressible. Alex Ferguson had fielded an enthralling attacking line-up, with Anderson in central midfield alongside Paul Scholes, evidently backing their ability to outscore their opponents. Ferguson even had the luxury of using Cristiano Ronaldo as a substitute, starting with Nani.

With 13 minutes gone, Ashley Young whipped in a cross from deep on the left, the speed of the delivery catching Wes Brown out of position. Gabriel Agbonlahor sprang, hung and neatly headed the ball across Edwin van der Sar. It was the first goal United had conceded in 10 hours and 11 minutes of league football.

It was terrific stuff from Villa and they had the chance to add to their lead. Young's delivery, this time from a corner, was again exemplary and Luke Moore really should have got a touch to the ball as it sped across the goalmouth. Moore had earlier shot into the side-netting and was pushing Rio Ferdinand out of his comfort zone.

United were warming up though and gave a warning of what was to come when Carlos Tevez played a dazzling one-two with Rooney in the Villa area only to delay his shot too long, eventually driving the ball straight at the legs of Carson. The speed of the move was mesmerising.

However, it was not United brilliance but Villa errors that let the champions back into the game, the visitors rattling in three goals in nine minutes. With 36 minutes played, Scholes hit a crisp low pass to Nani on the right corner of the Villa area. The Portuguese winger sent the ball gently across the six-yard box but, for some reason, Zat Knight failed to hack clear. A delighted Rooney scampered in and stroked it home.

Knight was again caught half-asleep when United took the lead a minute before half-time. Tevez carried the ball in from the left flank and seeing Rooney completely free in the area, played it simply to the feet of the England striker. Knight reacted too late to his positional error, allowing Rooney to trap and finish in one fluid movement.

Rooney then hit the bar with a first-time cracker but United were not to be denied the fourth. With 15 minutes to go, Ryan Giggs cut in from the right and his shot deflected off the shins of Olof Mellberg, looped in the air and was flicked into his own net by the head of Martin Laursen. When it rains it pours.

The Sunday Times

Wayne Rooney overcame his hangover from England's defeat in Moscow with two goals in a game that Manchester United won at a canter after Aston Villa had two players - Nigel Reo-Coker and goalkeeper Scott Carson - sent off in the second half. Two own goals completed the rout.

Carlos Tevez played perhaps his best game for United, linking effectively with Rooney, but Villa's early promise dissolved under United's strong finish to the first half, in which they scored three goals in 10 minutes to pave the way for their 10th successive league win over Villa and a seventh in succession in the Premier League.

Having already claimed the scalp of Chelsea this season, Aston Villa's manager, Martin O'Neill, felt able to say before the game that his confident, young team is playing with "vibrancy and panache". He believed that his players could take on United at their own game. Anchored efficiently in the centre of midfield by Gareth Barry and Reo-Coker, Villa attacked with predictable pace and surprising penetration along the flanks. Patrice Evra encountered problems early on trying to contain Craig Gardner, as did Wes Brown with Ashley Young's repeated incursions on Villa's left side.

With United playing in a fluid 4-4-2 system and Cristiano Ronaldo on the bench, the onus was on Rooney and Tevez to provide the clever movement that might break down Villa's resolute defence.

Both the tempo and overall quality was high. Nani cut from the left to shoot narrowly wide from long range. Barry played the ball out to Young on the left and his low cross was flicked goalwards by Luke Moore before it was cleared. There was constant ebb and flow.

Scholes was more effective now and United's passing more crisp and penetrative. Villa began to buckle. It was only a moment's hesitation by Zat Knight but that was all that United needed to secure the equaliser. Scholes played the ball to Nani whose cross was allowed to roll on by Knight and Rooney gratefully accepted the gift, finishing clinically at the far post, his fifth goal in five games.

The sixth duly followed after United's grip on the game had strengthened significantly with Scholes and Anderson more commanding in midfeld and Tevez igniting the attack with his energy and vision and burgeoning partnership with Rooney. When the Argentine was given room to cut in from the left, Villa were already in trouble. He made a superb pass to the England striker whose finish was exemplary. The defending was not with Martin Laursen and Olof Mellberg allowing far too much space to a man in such form.

Villa's frustration was compounded by a penalty appeal that came to nothing when Agbonlahor advanced into the area and fell, seemingly, from a brush with Rio Ferdinand. But it became even worse for the home team just prior to the interval when Nani's corner was met by Gerard Pique whose header had to be cleared off the line by Young. The ball came to Ferdinand whose shot was helped across the line by Gardner.

When Tevez was taken down in the penalty area by Carson, referee Styles immediately sent off the Villa goalkeeper. Rooney was all set for his hat-trick but Stuart Taylor's first act after coming on in place of Knight was to save Rooney's penalty kick as he dived to his right.

After a Rooney strike rebounded off the crossbar, Giggs's shot was deflected of Laursen for a second own-goal.