Paul McGrath had hoped to return in triumph to Old Trafford . . . instead, he was forced to swallow defeat and concede that Aston Villa's Championship dreams had virtually expired.

Mark Robins, the 20-year-old striker was the toast of the Stretford End once again last night.

And his two first half goals against Villa will also be popular down the East Lancs Road in Liverpool.

Liverpool are now red hot favourites for the title.

They are a point ahead of Villa with two games in hand and only five to play.

McGrath admitted: "You've got to concede it's looking dodgy for us. They've got games in the bank, which clearly doesn't help our cause."

Discarded by Alex Ferguson last summer and bought for a £400,000 'song' by Graham Taylor, McGrath had starred in the Claret and Blue this season as Villa soared to the top of the table.

Taylor rates McGrath as the best buy he has ever made in his managerial career but, clearly, Paul still had a point to make last night.

Robins spoiled the party but McGrath still managed to raise a smile. "I felt a bit nervous coming back to Old Trafford," he said. "Even though we got the wrong result, I still enjoyed it."

As for Robins, he said: "I always rated him when I was here. He always got a lot of goals at junior level. At half time, I was asked to mark him very closely and I did that. The lad didn't do much after the interval.”

By then it was too late. Robins had already boosted his personal tally to six goals in six matches. On from the start, he put United ahead in the 25th minute with a superb diving header. Then Mark Hughes' penetrating pass from the right sent Robins racing into the box and he nonchalantly chipped goalkeeper Nigel Spink. Viv Anderson also hit the Villa bar in a game the Midlanders needed to win to overhaul Liverpool.