PICTURES

WEBMASTER'S COMMENT

"David Beckham's goal, a candidate for Goal Of The Season, sealed the victory after an exciting first half. Beckham, a day before his birthday, said about the goal "It was probably one of the best free kicks I have ever scored."

MATCH REPORT

By Mark Bradley, PA Sport

When Kevin Keegan asked Alex Ferguson which of his players he wanted to rest for England's friendly in Hungary, the Manchester United boss did not hesitate for a second.

David Beckham was his immediate answer and as the winger tormented Aston Villa at Old Trafford to send his side back to the top of the table above Arsenal, it was easy to see why.

Villa may not be the imposing side which led the Premiership before Christmas but they still managed to equalise Steve Watson's early own goal with a strike by Julian Joachim.

But although his team-mates' aching limbs showed as they began the month of May which holds the key to their treble destiny, Beckham scored a sublime 30-yard free-kick two minutes into the second-half.

United were even able to survive a missed penalty, as keeper Michael Oakes brilliantly denied Denis Irwin. But their victory was mainly down to Beckham, who has played the large majority of United's games this season, and the week's rest he has benefited from along with Gary Neville clearly showed as he ran the show at Old Trafford.

United were without Ryan Giggs, Andy Cole and Jaap Stam through injury, while Roy Keane was suspended, but still they came out of the blocks fuelled with self-belief on their first return to Old Trafford since their success against Juventus.

Colin Calderwood tangled with Paul Scholes in the area but no penalty was given, Scholes and Nicky Butt both aimed efforts straight at Oakes and Jesper Blomqvist fatally hesitated before having a shot deflected wide.

Villa seemed hypnotised by United's fluid movement and pace, and were penned back, offering absolutely nothing at this stage as an attacking force.

Beckham's first attempt at a free-kick, this one from 22 yards out, was bound for the top corner until Gareth Southgate, who had sneaked back almost unnoticed onto the goal-line, rose to head it over the bar.

Little over a minute later United were ahead, even if their goal owed much to some desperately poor defending by the visitors. Blomqvist's visionary through-ball picked out Scholes and the midfielder headed the ball across goal for Watson, under pressure from Dwight Yorke, to apparently put the ball into his own net. Yorke nevertheless celebrated against his former club and the Old Trafford crowd promptly awoke from its slumbers - but so too did Villa.

Scholes placed a chance just wide soon afterwards yet by now Paul Merson, who had been a peripheral figure, was roaming menacingly all over the pitch and arrived in the box to head a cross from Steve Stone straight at Peter Schmeichel.

In contrast, United became lethargic, almost over-confident against a side who had failed to score on their previous four League visits to Old Trafford, as their crosses went astray and their movement dulled.

When Stone again crossed from the right flank, the home defence even seemed to freeze and Joachim nipped in ahead of them. His effort may have been mis-hit but Schmeichel was still beaten and even though Merson had been offside as the cross came over, referee Keith Burge ruled that he had not been interfering with play as he was running away from goal.

Villa were by now looking a different side, with the half-fit Dion Dublin trying a cheeky lob which went just wide and Merson's shot from the edge of the area being plucked out of the air by Schmeichel.

Beckham was forced to try his luck from long-range, Yorke tried to go it alone and United were forced to rethink, Ferguson's side can never be discounted though and Teddy Sheringham forced Oakes into a fine diving save to deny him just before the break, while Scholes headed over the top.

And within two minutes of the restart, they were ahead through Beckham's quite sublime free-kick, which gave Oakes absolutely no chance as it curved and dipped its way unerringly into the top corner.

Scholes powered a drive just a yard wide of the upright soon afterwards and Villa were again chasing shadows, conceding a 65th-minute penalty when Stone needlessly pushed substitute Phil Neville.

It took a tremendous save from Oakes to deny Denis Irwin from the spot, flinging himself to his right and tipping the ball around the post as he arched his outstretched arm above him. Scholes headed the resulting corner just wide amid a melee of players but as United then started to tire, there was Beckham, still full of running and even dropping into central midfield on occasions to orchestrate moves from there.

While their natural urges demanded a third goal, the tightness of the League table and their aching muscles urged caution. England debutant Wes Brown came on for David May to counter the pace of Villa strikers Joachim and substitute Darius Vassell.

United were perhaps fortunate that Villa's own creative touch deserted them, with a string of passes going astray just as they started to dominate possession again.

But while United's limbs may be tiring, there is no disputing their strength of mind or the brilliance of Beckham.

Over to you, Arsenal.

POST MATCH REACTIONS

David Beckham struck another stunning free-kick special to send Manchester United back to the top of the Premiership and leave Alex Ferguson claiming: "He's unstoppable."

The England midfielder, 24 tomorrow, struck a second-half cracker to clinch a 2-1 win over Aston Villa.

Julian Joachim had cancelled out a Steve Watson own-goal when Beckham struck with a 30-yard free-kick that gave Villa keeper Michael Oakes no chance two minutes into the second half.

"It was a wonderful goal," crowed Ferguson afterwards, "and even if they had put a defensive wall up, I can't see how they would have stopped it.

"He has a marvellous talent with free kicks, and he still practices them every week. In fact, he was working on them after training on Friday."

Villa boss John Gregory agreed. He said: "Beckham has an outstanding talent. He confused me, let alone our defence."

Gregory admitted that he had spent much of last week working on defending against Beckham's set pieces, and decided that Gareth Southgate would stand alongside his goalkeeper to counter the vicious swerve.

"That worked in the first half when Gareth headed one of Beckham's free kicks out from under the bar.

"In the second half, Michael Oakes said he could handle it, but clearly he couldn't!

"I was talking to a United fan alongside me as Beckham stepped up to take the free kick. We didn't think we needed a wall, it was too far out.

"I said to the fan, 'he'll try for the top left hand corner.' The fan said 'no - he'll go for top left.' And that's what the lad did. But what do I know about such things?

"I think it is almost impossible to legislate for that sort of ability."

Gregory felt slightly hard done by that Villa had not managed to salvage a point after Oakes had saved a Denis Irwin penalty after Beckham's strike.

"We felt we deserved something from the game, and when Oakes saved Irwin's penalty I really thought we would get a result," said Gregory.

"We had recovered from the first 20 minutes when we had looked like autograph hunters out there admiring our opponents and the stadium.

"When we got a grip, we looked worth a point. I felt we could do it right up to the final whistle. But they hung on and look favourites for the title now - they're certainly my bet."

Ferguson hopes to have Jaap Stam, Andy Cole and even Ryan Giggs back at Liverpool on Wednesday when Roy Keane returns from suspension.

Ferguson said: "Ryan is back running and even he has a chance. We will have to give it a couple of days to see how his ankle problem is."

The United boss admitted his side had looked a little nervy in the second half.

"We were maybe a bit edgy," he said, "but, in the end, I felt the better side won."

TEAMS

Manchester United: Schmeichel, G Neville, Johnsen, May, Irwin, Beckham, Butt, Scholes, Blomqvist, Yorke, Sheringham.
Subs: P Neville for Blomqvist, Brown for May
Scorers: Watson (og 20), Beckham (46)

Aston Villa: Oakes, Wright, Southgate, Calderwood, Watson, Taylor, Draper, Merson, Stone, Joachim, Dublin.
Subs: Thompson for Draper, Vassell for Dublin
Scorers: Joachim (34)

Referee: K Burge