Brown aims to keep firing

Wes Brown believes Manchester United will have to maintain their winning run if they are to edge a hotly-contested race for the Premier League title.

United trail leaders Chelsea by two points ahead of Wednesday night's trip to Aston Villa and could regain top spot if results go their way.

Morale is sky-high within the Red Devils squad after a run of four straight triumphs and Brown feels it is vital they do all they can to achieve maximum points again at Villa Park.

He said: "Once we get to this stage of the season it is no longer about wanting to win. We have to win. We have to play well and we have to score goals.

"Recent results mean we have a lot of confidence at the moment. Hopefully we can keep it that way."

With the exception of Arsenal, who were put to the sword in merciless fashion nine days ago, and Birmingham - who drew 1-1 at St Andrews last month - United's recent opponents have all been from the wrong end of the table.

But it was not a Premier League game which gave United their current momentum. Brown points to the explosive Carling Cup semi-final with Manchester City as the point when United really clicked into gear.

"Those two games were brilliant," he said. "Coming off after the second leg knowing we had beaten them and earned a place at Wembley gave everyone a massive lift."

Nevertheless, a succession of comfortable victories has galvanised Ferguson's side, erasing a goal difference advantage that Chelsea were nursing and exerting a degree of pressure on the Londoners, whose own inconsistency continues to be a drawback.

"It is a bit topsy turvy," admitted Brown. "We have had some good results in the last few weeks while Chelsea dropped points against Hull.

"When you look at the table now, anyone could take it, but knowing other teams have dropped points only matters if we keep winning.

"What does gives you a bit of a confidence is knowing that when you go into a game, you finish it by being top."

It seems the chance of going top will be a far bigger motivational tool than blanking out the memory of a desperately disappointing performance in United's previous encounter with Villa, where Martin O'Neill's side claimed a 1-0 win at Old Trafford.

"Maybe there is a sense of revenge from December," Brown, 30, said. "But when we met them before we weren't playing too well, which is why I feel it will be different this time."