Aston Villa vs Man Utd: Player ratings

 
Van der sar: Steady—especially in picking up crosses—and commanded his area well. - 7

Brown: Kept Ashley Young quiet for large parts of the game—but his attacking and delivery could have been better. - 6

Evra: Good runs forward, but his defending was on several occasions suspect. - 6

Vidic: Defended very well,cancelling out Carew's aerial threat. - 8

Ferdinand: Showed why his partnership with Vidic is the best in the EPL. - 8

Carrick: Still struggling, misplaced too many passes, and low creativity. - 6

Anderson: Showed flashes of brilliance and performed admirably against Reo-Coker and Barry. - 7

Park: Good work ethic, but still short of match fitness. - 6

Ronaldo: Frustated at times and went to the ground too often—but showed great determination, strength, and awareness in giving United the lead. - 7

Giggs: Poor first half, but improved in the second and set up Ronaldo's goal. - 7

Saha: Another poor display—no wonder United is looking for a new striker. - 5

SUBS:

Rooney: Changed the game completely. His combination with Ronaldo was brilliant. - 7

Hargreaves: Steady in making a few clearences and covering the defence. - 6

O'Shea: Not enough time on the pitch to make a significant contribution. - n/r

Not used:

Nani

Tom Heaton

Goals:

Aston Villa: None

United: Ronaldo (81), Rooney (89)