Aston Villa 2 Man Utd 3 - match report

Austria international Weimann struck either side of half-time to give Villa – who have not beaten United on home soil in the league for 17 years – a deserved two-goal lead.

But Javier Hernandez inspired the United comeback as he scored twice and was only denied a hat-trick after the Red Devils second goal went down as Ron Vlaar own goal.

Villa boss Paul Lambert made one change from the side which won at Sunderland as Enda Stevens came in at left-back for the injured Joe Bennett.

Sir Alex Ferguson made six changes from the Manchester United side that beat Braga in the Champions League on Wednesday.

Rio Ferdinand, Rafael Da Silva, Paul Scholes, Michael Carrick, Ashley Young and Robin Van Persie all return to the starting line-up, with the injured pair of Jonny Evans and Nani ruled out through injury.

United made the early running and Young cut in from the left flank in the fifth minute and curled a low shot around the post from distance.

Villa were content to soak up the pressure and hit on the counter attack. Ashley Westwood's lofted ball over the top found Christian Benteke in the 15th minute and his near-post effort was saved by United keeper David De Gea.

The home side almost caught United on the break again moments later when Agbonlahor escaped down the right flank and but Benteke failed to anticipate the low cross and Ferdinand cleared the danger.

Wayne Rooney had been shackled well by the Villa defence and gave a reminder of his threat when he lashed a shot from 30 yards but it went straight at Guzan.

However, it was Villa who took the lead on the stroke of half-time when Belgium powerhouse Benteke showed great strength to shrug off the attentions of Smalling on the left flank.

Benteke's cross picked out the run of Weimann and he smashed a superb shot past De Gea, who failed to react in time, into the roof of the net.

Villa made an electric start to the second half and Weimann scored his five minutes after the break when he finished off a sweeping move on the counter attack.

Stephen Ireland spread the ball out to Gabby Agbonlahor on the right wing and he delivered an inch-perfect cross into the six-yard box for the unmarked Weimann to tap past the helpless De Gea.

United hit back moments later, though, when Scholes lifted a beautiful ball over the top of the Villa defence for half-time substitute Hernandez.

The Mexico international broke clear of the Villa defence and kept his cool to strike a low shot past the despairing dive of American keeper Guzan.

Hernandez then bagged his second to equalise for the Red Devils in the 63rd minute after Scholes played an intelligent ball out to Rafael on the right wing.

The Brazilian full-back's cross found Hernandez at the back post and the clever poacher cracked the ball past Guzan - via a deflection of Dutch centre-back Ron Vlaar – and into the net.

Var Persie then rattled the crossbar twice in the space of a minute when he got his head on a Valencia corner and then moments later with a shot from 25-yards out.

But the Dutch forward had a hand in United's winner when his 87th-minute free-kick was met by the diving Hernandez who headed past Guzan to send United four points clear at the top of the table.