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"LEE SHARPE produced a new cutting edge to earn Manchester United victory at Villa Park.

The 22-year-old England winger, who managed just one goal in 30 games last season, scored twice to enable United to displace Liverpool at the top of the table.

But Sharpe's winner, 16 minutes from time, was a cruel blow for Villa, who had matched United blow for blow and had earlier been denied by the woodwork.

Villa left the champions in no doubt that they will provide another great challenge for the title this season and the rest of Europe will have watched with anxious fascination.

Both teams produced a fitting tribute of vibrant, attacking football which suggested that either could embellish England's proud European tradition.

Sharpe, the unexpected replacement for the suspended Bryan Robson, repaid the gamble with a 17th minute goal, cancelled out just before half-time by Dalian Atkinson's third goal of the season.

But Villa were caught napping in the 74th minute.

Distracted by Ryan Giggs drifting out to the left, no-one picked up Sharpe as he arrowed through the middle on to Paul Ince's superb through ball and he beat Nigel Spink from 12 yards.

Ince was also at the heart of United's first goal, exchanging crisp passes with Giggs before breaking into the Villa area.

Shaun Teale's desperate intervention succeeded only in steering the ball across to Sharpe, who finished superbly.

Villa brought Bryan Small and Garry Parker into the formation which proved so successful in three unbeaten meetings with Ron Atkinson's old club last season.

And they would surely have earned at least a draw if the manager's namesake had had better luck.

He should have scored in the ninth minute when Earl Barrett's sweeping cross from the right dropped for him six yards out. But the eagerness of partner Dean Saunders impeded Atkinson's header and prevented a certain goal.

Then, four minutes from the interval, Atkinson suffered more agony as his header from Parker's cross stewed just the wrong side of the far post.

Steve Bruce missed the chance to tighten United's grip soon afterwards and they paid the price just on the break.

This time there was no stopping Atkinson as he took the ball round Bruce some 40 yards out, accelerated away and before Gary Pallister could get to him, he walloped a right-foot shot in off Peter Schmeichel's despairing right hand.

The Danish goalkeeper made a brilliant save to palm aside Saunders' volley from the edge of the box in the 50th minute. But he knew nothing about Kevin Richardson's thunderbolt from even further out moments later and was hugely relieved as it smacked against his right hand post and back into play.

The excitement carried on unabated, with Spink saving superbly from Andrei Kanchelskis's 61st-minute header.

Two minutes later came the most astonishing incident of a fabulous match when Giggs raced clear onto Ince's ball down the right.

As Spink came off his line, he hooked the ball past him off the outside of his left boot and held his head in disbelief as it flew back from the inside of the far post."