Cristiano Ronaldo inspired Manchester United to a 4-0 victory over Aston Villa in the Premiership at Old Trafford on Saturday evening.

Sir Alex Ferguson’s side are six points clear of second-place Arsenal, who earlier came from two goals down to beat Bolton Wanderers 3-2. Chelsea are in action on Sunday at home against Middlesbrough and a victory will see Avram Grant’s side leapfrog the Gunners.

Ronaldo scored the opener with a skilful finish in the 16th minute after the Villans failed to clear the corner kick by Ryan Giggs, taking his season’s tally to 35 goals including 26 in the league, and then assisted in the goals for Carlos Tevez and Wayne Rooney double.

The Portugal international supplied a fine cross from the right side of the penalty area for Tevez, who had initiated the sweeping attacking move from deep into their own half, to find the target with a diving header in the 33rd minute.

Villa suffered a blow as striker John Carew limped off with a suspected knee problem in the 42nd minute with Shaun Maloney replacing the Norwegian, who had come close to getting a goal earlier in the half as his shot from the left wing had narrowly missed the mark.

Rooney missed a simple chance of increasing the United lead soon after the second half started after he was set up by Tevez. At the other end, Shaun Maloney’s shot all along the ground came within inches of finding the back of Tomasz Kuszczak’s net.

Ronaldo was denied off a powerful shot from the box due to good piece of defending by Villans, however the sensational winger then set up Rooney with a superb back flick and this time the England international got past Scott Carson and got himself onto the score sheet in the 53rd minute.

Argentina forward, Tevez made a mess of an open chance as he failed to head home from six yards, from a cross from substitute Owen Hargreaves from right wing in the 65th minute. Soon after, Rooney hit the upright, but he was not to miss in the 70th minute as he swept home from the left side of the penalty area off a pass from Ronaldo.

Into the last five minutes of regulation time, with all substitutes used up, the Red Devils played with 10 men as skipper Ryan Giggs suffered a suspected hip problem and came off for early treatment ahead of next week’s Champions League quarter-finals against Roma.

Teams

Man United: Tomasz Kuszczak, Rio Ferdinand (Owen Hargreaves 62), Wes Brown, Patrice Evra (John O'Shea 62), Nemanja Vidic, Michael Carrick (Anderson 62), Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney, Carlos Tevez.

Substitutes not used: Ben Foster, Ji-Sung Park.

Aston Villa: Scott Carson, Olof Mellberg, Martin Laursen, Wilfred Bouma (Isaiah Osbourne 81), Stiliyan Petrov, Gareth Barry, Nigel Reo-Coker, Marlon Harewood (Moustapha Salifou 69), John Carew (Shaun Maloney 42), Ashley Young, Gabriel Agbonlahor.

Substitutes not used: Stuart Taylor, Zat Knight.