This afternoon, Manchester United will play their 32nd Premier League fixture of the season against Aston Villa at Old Trafford.

However, the current situation that the Red Devils find themselves in is a far cry from six years ago today, when Villa also made the trip to the North-West.

While David Moyes's charges are seventh in the table and 18 points behind leaders Chelsea, back in 2008, Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez spearheaded a United attack that held a six-point advantage over Arsenal at the summit. That trio would all get their names on the scoresheet as Villa returned to Birmingham empty handed.

With just 17 minutes on the clock, the deadlock was broken as Villa failed to clear a Ryan Giggs corner. The ball fell for Ronaldo, who inexplicably managed to flick his shot beyond a diving Scott Carson from 10 yards out.

United's Portuguese talisman then turned provider in the 33rd minute when his cross towards the back post evaded everyone but for Tevez and the Argentine frontman was able to squeeze a header just inside the target.

After the restart, Rooney got in on the act. Having fluffed his lines moments earlier in the 48th minute when he shot wide from close range, the striker made amends by inheriting possession from Ronaldo, before rounding Carson to roll the ball into an unguarded net.

The hosts continued to turn the screw as Tevez headed an Owen Hargreaves cross wide, while Rooney struck the outside of the post.

He did find the target again, though, with 20 minutes left to play. Ronaldo once again was the provider, slotting a pass through for Rooney and with Carson advancing, he showed good composure to guide the ball inside the Villa keeper's near post.

After the final whistle, defeated manager Martin O'Neill said: "Ronaldo has gone on to be exceptional. His goals are obviously giving him great confidence. He's going on to the field with much more confidence and so is Rooney.

"I genuinely believe Rooney is one of those players who wouldn't worry - need to worry - about scoring for four or five weeks. He's got the capabilities, he's got the game [and] it's only a matter of time."

Even if the present-day United side match the achievements of their 2008 counterparts by hitting four unanswered goals against Villa, they will remain in seventh spot.

MAN UNITED: Kuszczak; Brown, Ferdinand (Hargreaves), Vidic, Evra (O'Shea); Ronaldo, Carrick (Anderson), Scholes, Giggs; Tevez, Rooney

ASTON VILLA: Carson; Reo-Coker, Mellberg, Laursen, Bouma (Osbourne); Agbonlahor, Petrov, Barry, Young; Harewood (Salifou), Carew (Maloney)