Even without David Beckham, Sven-Goran Eriksson will have seen plenty to cheer him at Old Trafford.

Beckham was surprisingly absent from the Manchester United squad as the champions won to stretch their Premiership lead to 14 points.

But the new national coach will have been impressed by the performances of the England contenders on show.

Nicky Butt caught the eye with his craft and graft in the United engine room, while David James was the pick of the Aston Villa contingent after making a number of saves.

Eriksson will also have noted the displays of United goalscorers Gary Neville and Teddy Sheringham and the 34-year-old atoned for an earlier miss by notching up his 18th goal of the season.

Phil Neville was solid, while Paul Merson produced a couple of moments of class.

At the start it had been Norwegian Ole Gunnar Solskjaer who first shone with two early efforts.

The first was saved by James and the second was deflected for a corner.

Sheringham may then have earned himself a black mark from Eriksson when he failed to open the scoring from a great chance.

The impressive Ryan Giggs swung in a great cross, which James could only touch to the United striker. Sheringham, with 17 goals to his name already this season, must have sensed number 18 as he steadied himself, but theVilla goalkeeper managed to recover to scramble away his shot.

After this bright opening the tempo of the game dropped dramatically.

Merson tried to enliven proceedings with a right-foot chip, which drifted just wide of the United goal from around 20 yards out.

Unfortunately for Eriksson, the best player on show was Giggs and the Welshman, who turned England down to play for his homeland, was causing Villa no end of trouble on the left.

Steve Staunton received a stern ticking off from referee Mike Riley forfouling him before George Boateng became the first player to be booked for cutting him down.

Giggs picked himself up and swung over the free-kick, which fell to Beckham's stand-in Jonathan Greening at the back post, but he blazed high and wide of the target.

At the other end, Juan Pablo Angel was not faring much better on his Villa debut and he had yet to do anything to come close to justifying his £9.5million transfer fee.

Angel finally did something just after half-time when he crossed to Dion Dublin at the back post, who played the ball across goal, just inches infront of Merson.

Villa went closer in the 51st minute when Fabien Barthez denied them theopening goal.

Lee Hendrie beat United's offside trap and just when he thought he had rounded Barthez, the Frenchman managed to recover to block his shot at the expense of a corner.

United were rocking and Greening cleared a Barry drive off the line before Merson volleyed wide from a free-kick move.

Those near misses finally spurred United into action and they went close themselves a couple of times during a frantic goalmouth melee. James parried Sheringham's shot before saving from Solskjaer from the rebound and then Barry cleared a second shot.

The Reds made the breakthrough a minute later in the 56th minute. Hendrie was penalised for an obstruction on Roy Keane and the United skipper swung the ball in for Gary Neville to touch home his first goal of the season from a couple of yards out.

Giggs nearly added a second when he hit a free-kick just over the bar from the edge of the D.

The hardworking Butt came close to scoring the goal his efforts deserved when he prodded the ball narrowly wide in the final minutes.

Sheringham wrapped up another three points for United in the 87th minute.

Substitute Andy Cole broke down the right and when he pulled the ball back, James could only touch it to Sheringham who knocked it into the inviting net.

Teams

Man Utd: Barthez, Gary Neville, Irwin, Stam, Butt, Phil Neville, Keane, Greening (Chadwick 62), Sheringham, Solskjaer (Cole 63), Giggs.

Subs Not Used: Van Der Gouw, Brown, Yorke.

Booked: Butt.

Goals: Gary Neville 57, Sheringham 87.

Aston Villa: James, Wright, Staunton, Barry (Ginola 82), Alpay, Stone, Boateng, Hendrie, Dublin, Angel (Vassell 64), Merson.

Subs Not Used: Standing, Samuel, Enckelman.

Booked: Boateng, Stone.

Att: 67,533

Ref: M Riley (Leeds).