MANCHESTER UNITED'S record against Aston Villa is so formidable that today's trip to Villa Park will hold little fear for Alex Ferguson. But the most successful manager in the business has added his name to Villa's growing list of admirers, predicting that Martin O'Neill's side had a genuine chance of forcing their way into the previously impregnable group of four clubs at the top of the Premier League.

Despite the absence of Dimitar Berbatov and lingering concerns about the fitness of Wayne Rooney and Rio Ferdinand, United will be looking for a 12th consecutive victory against Villa when they travel to a ground they have found generous, to say the least, over the years.

When Gabriel Agbonlahor scored in the corresponding fixture last season, it was the first time a Villa player had managed a home goal against United for six years. True to form, the game finished in a 4-1 away victory, consolidating United's status as Villa's bogey team, with 23 victories against them since the formation of the Premier League 16 years ago.

Ferguson, nonetheless, believes O'Neill's players are the only serious challengers to the quartet of clubs that have dominated English football over the last decade, a view that has been given further credence by Villa's 2-0 victory at Arsenal last weekend.

"Villa have the capability of breaking into the top four," the United manager said. "I think they could do that. At the moment they are level with Arsenal and only a point behind us. It's a good position to be in. Their form at Arsenal last week was outstanding and we have to recognise them as an improving side."

The credit, said Ferguson, went to O'Neill, one of the managers who have been tipped to replace him at Old Trafford. "Martin has done a fantastic job," he added. "He is one of the best managers in the game, no question about that. The only way you can judge managers is how they have proved themselves over a long period and when you look at the job Martin did at Leicester, at Celtic and now at Villa, he is obviously a top manager."

If Villa are to sustain a challenge to the big four then Arsenal, on current form, look the most vulnerable. United lost at the Emirates a fortnight ago but Ferguson believes it was an injustice. "We've recognised a weakness in ourselves, making all those chances against Arsenal and not taking any," he said. "We were left a bit embarrassed. It was a game we should have had a point from, if not all three."

Ferguson is calling on his front players to be more ruthless, pointing out that "at the moment, Chelsea are well ahead of us in terms of scoring goals", and will be waiting anxiously to see whether Rooney passes a fitness test on the calf injury that ruled him out of England's midweek win over Germany.

Ferdinand also needs a late check-up because he is still troubled by a back injury while Berbatov misses out after picking up a hamstring strain in Bulgaria's 6-1 defeat to Serbia. "He will definitely miss the Villarreal (Champions League) game on Tuesday too," Ferguson said. "But there is a slight chance he may be available for Manchester City next weekend."

Wes Brown has not played in nearly a month because of an ankle injury and Ferguson confirmed the defender had undergone surgery. "There's no timescale but I would have thought (he will miss) four to five weeks, which is disappointing."

Guardian Service