TWO-GOAL Cristiano Ronaldo's virtuoso performance and a superb strike from Paul Scholes helped put Manchester United's Premiership title challenge back on track.

The visitor's showed they were suffering no hangover from their shock defeat at West Ham to ensure they will go into Christmas as leaders.

Ronaldo capped a superb display by scoring the opener in the 59th minute and, after Scholes volleyed home from 25 yards five minutes later, the Portuguese winger wrapped up the points in the closing stages.

Before the kick-off former Villa manager Ron Saunders, who guided the team to the Championship and the European Cup in the early 1980s, was given a standing ovation on his first return to the ground for more than 20 years. Back on the pitch Villa pushed Gabriel Agbonlahor into attack alongside Chris Sutton and made a positive start in front of a near capacity 43,000 crowd. After 15 minutes the woodwork came to United's rescue when a free-kick from Gareth Barry was flicked on by Chris Sutton to Aaron Hughes, whose header clipped the outside of a post. It was encouraging start by Martin O'Neill's side who have not beaten United in a league meeting for more than 11 years.

Even so, Park Ji-Sung looked lively in the early stages but would have been disappointed with the accuracy of his finish from United's first clear-cut opening of the game. Gary Neville found himself with the time and space to the right of the Villa box to pick out the run of Park but he failed to make proper contact with his shot which curled wide of the far post. Gavin McCann was then relieved when he inadvertently sent a header from Ryan Giggs' corner just past his own post. United were beginning to get on top and Gabor Kiraly was finding himself the busier of the two goalkeepers. The on-loan Crystal Palace player clung onto a low angled drive from Patrice Evra and then held onto Ronaldo's header which flew straight at him from Giggs' corner.

Darren Fletcher would have been disappointed not to have done better after racing onto a pass from Ronaldo and stabbing the ball past the far post. Giggs then led a threeon-three breakout from defence by United before finding Ronaldo, who turned past Hughes only to send his shot across the face of goal.

Villa were now restricted to the occasional breakout from their own half and Stilian Petrov, Craig Gardner and Agbonlahor were both well off target with long range efforts.

Villa made an encouraging start to the second period.

Steven Davis' pass picked out the run of Petrov who would have been disappointed to slice a shot hopelessly wide.

Edwin Van der Sar went racing out of his area to fly-hack clear from Agbonlahor as he chased down a cross-field pass from Davis. But United retaliated and, after Ronaldo had seen one effort blocked after good work by Park, the Portuguese winger broke the deadlock after 59 minutes.

He picked the ball up in his own half and was allowed to advance almost unchallenged to the edge of the Villa box.

His first shot was blocked by Gary Cahill but the rebound fell straight into the path of Ronaldo who crashed an unstoppable drive inside Kiraly's near post.

And after 64 minutes a spectacular strike from Paul Scholes looked to have wrapped up the points for United. Giggs' corner was headed out by McCann but Scholes took aim from 25 yards out and volleyed a superb drive past Kiraly via the underside of the bar.

Ronaldo had the ball in the net for a second time but had strayed marginally offside.

However, with four minutes left he made no mistake when converting a low centre from Gary Neville.