LONDON: Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson hailed Wayne Rooney after the striker struck a brace to steer them to a 3-1 win over Aston Villa at Old Trafford this morning.

Goals in the first and 45th minutes from Rooney set the Red Devils on the right path and while Darren Bent grabbed one back for the visitors in the 58th, centreback Nemanja Vidic's 62nd minute strike sealed victory.

Rooney found goals hard to come by this season, for the record.

"It was a marvellous early goal (within 48 seconds to be precise). Rooney capitalises from Edwin van der Sar's fantastic strike of the ball," Ferguson told Sky Sports.

"It was really good vision from the goalkeeper, but what a finish, marvellous finish.

"Goals always help strikers there's no question about that. But Rooney has always got a great appetite to play, everyone should remember that. It's an in-bred thing in the boy. He has this great attitude to work and fight and he gets his rewards eventually."

Ferguson also admitted the timing of the goals also helped his side.

"It was a game of good timing, an early goal, one right on half-time and they when they scored the goal we upped the tempo again and scored the third goal," he said.

The win maintains United's five-point lead at the top of the table and Ferguson urged his side to keep their momentum going.

"I think what happens in the run-in is you keep knocking off the games, if we keep winning, we knock each one off as we go along and eventually you run out of games," he said.

"The aim is to keep the momentum going, keep the workrate up. We were good tonight but we had to work hard against a good Villa team, and hopefully it gets us where we want to be."

Villa boss Gerard Houllier felt United's superiority in front of goal proved decisive.

"We were beaten by a team that were superior to ours," said the Frenchman.

"We didn't play badly and we managed to come back at 2-1 but they played brilliantly."

Villa enjoyed the lion's share of possession and Houllier acknowledged they were able to dominate in that aspect.

"We passed the ball well and were silkier and more accurate but we lacked the finishing. We weren't clinical and we didn't hurt them enough."

LONDON: Former Liverpool striker John Aldridge hit out at Chelsea striker Fernando Torres for turning his back on the club's fans but claims the future is bright at Anfield without the Spaniard.

Torres, 26, completed a British record £50 million move on Monday after handing in a transfer request, while the Reds brought in Luis Suarez and Andy Carroll for nearly £60 million.

Torres, a World Cup winner, enjoyed a harmonious relationship with fans at Anfield and had previously committed himself to the club, saying he would never move to another Premier League outfit.

"He's been pretty fraudulent with Liverpool fans, who have stuck with him through thick and thin, and he's been very thin of late," Aldridge told Sky Sports.

"They've actually been making excuses for him, saying mentally he's not right or he's injured, but to be honest he's not looked half the player he was for some time."

Torres found it hard to maintain his form this season after an injury-ravaged summer, often cutting a forlorn figure in a red shirt during his final few months, and Aldridge believes Chelsea have a lot to do to get him back to his best.

"For Chelsea, it's a bit of a gamble," he said.

"Can they resurrect Torres to what he was doing for Liverpool for the first two years? Will he shirk off the injuries that have been dogging him?

"But having said that, if he does click with Didier Drogba. That's one hell of a frontline."

Aldridge said Liverpool will be stronger with the additions of Suarez and Carroll, who he described as excellent players.

"They'll get more from them. Torres has not won a game single-handedly for Liverpool for some time," he said.

Aldridge said Liverpool could be optimistic about improving in future under the ownership of Fenway Sports Group.

On whether the signings of Suarez and Carroll were a statement from the new American owners, Aldridge said: "Very much. People will say they utilised the money from Ryan Babel and Torres, but a lot of clubs wouldn't have done that.

"Manchester United didn't utilise the £80 million from Cristiano Ronaldo, and if Hicks and Gillett were here they wouldn't have done that, that would have gone on interest payments.

"I've got a funny feeling that it won't be the last couple of big signings. I think Liverpool could have a bright future under these people."