'There will always be something special about the combination of night games at Villa Park and Ryan Giggs. No one who saw it will ever forget the magnificent goal Giggs scored here to win an FA Cup semi-final replay against Arsenal in Manchester United's treble season five years ago.
And last night, wearing a similar white away shirt to the one he whirled around his head like a dervish that night in 1999, Giggs turned it on again under the floodlights. His goal four minutes before half-time capped a superb display from the Welshman and turned up the pressure on a United board stalling on his demand for a new two-year contract. Giggs ran Villa ragged in a superb display that recalled his glory, glory days.
He might have scored another 10 minutes after the interval but this time the chance fell to his weaker right foot and he ballooned it high over the bar. It didn't matter. Giggs is a timeless gem who is never more dangerous than when he is being written off. Right now, he's the player who's inspiring United's pursuit of Chelsea.
United had come into the game on the back of a winning streak that stretches back to the end of October and had sent them scorching back into title contention.
And in Paul Scholes, who had notched seven goals in his last six games after a long scoring drought, they possessed the Premiership's form midfielder.
Sir Alex Ferguson was so confident that he left Roy Keane and Cristiano Ronaldo on the bench to rest them after their parts in the Boxing Day victory over Bolton Wanderers.
That meant only a fifth league start of the season for Phil Neville who has inexplicably fallen out of favour at Old Trafford, despite a crucial role in United's triumph over Arsenal. All eyes, though, were on Wayne Rooney after his controversial tangle with Bolton defender Tal Ben Haim and new questions being asked about his temperament. Rooney, starting on the right side of a five-man United midfield, nearly provided the best possible retort in the opening 60 seconds.
When Liam Ridgewell let an aimless ball forward bounce over his head, Rooney was on it in a flash and Thomas Sorensen needed two attempts to clutch his right-foot drive.'
For a while, Giggs ran riot, terrifying the Villa defence with his pace and bewildering them with a series of flicks and tricks. United were shaken nine minutes before half-time when Rio Ferdinand was booked for a mistimed tackle on Hendrie.
Four minutes before half-time, Ferdinand played a long ball forward, Giggs laid it off to John O'Shea, ran on to the return and rifled the ball low past Sorensen from the edge of the area. Keane was brought on to shore United up after a spell of Villa pressure after the break and Rooney, who had taken a knock on the thigh, gave way to Ronaldo just after an hour.
Ronaldo nearly scored the first time he latched on to the ball. He sprinted on to a pass from Fletcher and jinked outside Ridgewell before sending his shot just wide of Sorensen's left-hand post. Villa looked shell-shocked by his arrival. Suddenly, they were tracking whirlwinds on both wings and United were never seriously threatened again.
United could have increased their lead in injury time when Alan Smith met a cross five yards from goal, but the striker could only watch in amazement as his shot rebounded off the crossbar.
Ronaldo dazzled until the final whistle. He may be Giggs' heir but he is still the apprentice to the master.'