Fergie eyes key European tie

Ferguson: Eyes title challenge

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Sir Alex Ferguson believes that the winner of the Chelsea and Liverpool UEFA Champions League quarter final tie will be his side's biggest title challengers.

Manchester United went back to the top of the Premier League after a dramatic 3-2 win over Aston Villa at Old Trafford on Sunday.

Villa began the match brightly and dominated large parts of the game but a stoppage time strike from Italian teenager Federico Macheda earned the champions a valuable three points.

The win took the Red Devils a point clear of Liverpool in second with a game in hand but Ferguson hasn't ruled Chelsea out of the title race.

"It's a big boost to come from behind and scoring late on but I look at the league a lot differently from a lot of other people," he told Sky Sports 1.

"A lot of people are screaming Liverpool and Liverpool are certainly on a charge at the moment there's no question about that and we accept that challenge it's fantastic and we are better in that situation.

"But I think the winner of the Chelsea Liverpool European tie will be our biggest threat I do believe that.

Emotional

"Whoever wins that double header will be our biggest threat. So many times it's become such an emotional fixture between the two clubs.

"There are never a lot of goals in it and they are very, very tight games whoever wins it, it will be a big step for them."

After Cristiano Ronaldo had grabbed his second of the game on 80 minutes to level the scores at 2-2 Ferguson revealed that there was never any doubt in his mind that his side should go all out for the win.

"Winning is the name of the game at this club," he added.

"We play the right way we deserved the result today because we try to win the match.

"Yes we take risks but risks are a part of football. This club has been built like that and been this way for a long time and I love the thrill of it myself.

"Yes we take terrible risks and we don't defend properly, we didn't defend well with the goals today but there's always a goal threat with us and a chance to win the match and that is even more exciting than anything."

Absentees

With a large number of first teamers watching on from the stands, through injury or suspension, the Scot singled out his youngsters for special praise.

"We are top of the league and that's where we want to be," he declared.

"At this time of the year teams drop points we've had our blip we've recovered today we've had seven or eight players missing today, four or five from the very top team.

"But you can see these young players are prepared to go right to the very end. Wellbeck is 18-years of age young Macheda and all these young players they excel.

"Evans is only a young lad but he's playing against the likes of Carew and Agbonlahor very experienced players.

"We've got to take great credit from that and we've got to take great encouragement that through that result today our season can change for us."