Wayne Rooney weighed in with a brace while Cristiano Ronaldo – with his 35th goal of the season – and Carlos Tevez also found the target.

United now have an astonishing goal difference of plus 53. While they are scoring goals for fun, they have conceded only 15 in the campaign.

England full-back Brown said: “It is great to have those players in front of you, the way they can change games.

“That gives you confidence at the back, knowing if you do not let goals in, you will get chances at the front.

“We kept the ball well against Villa and passed it well. While we could have scored more, it was one of our best performances of the season.

“Cristiano just improvised for the goal and got us off to a great start.

“Wayne and Carlos played great together both off and on the ball. The speed of our attacking play was tremendous.”

United have now kept 19 clean sheets in the league and Ferguson said: “I have always maintained that if you defend well you have a chance of winning things.

“We know it is not going to be easy against Roma but in the form we are in we are looking forward to it.”

Despite taking three points off the Italians in the group stage and knocking them out of the quarter-finals last season, Brown expects a difficult game.

Their hosts knocked out Real Madrid in the last round and are right back in the Serie A title race.

Brown said: “It will be very tough. It is not going to be a walkover.

“We need to be okay tactically but we know we can progress in the competition.

“I feel we can go into the game with confidence after the way we defeated Villa.”

Ferguson will monitor the fitness of goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar (groin) and Nani (thigh) ahead of the match as they missed the victory against Villa through injury.

Darren Fletcher and Louis Saha are both sidelined while Gary Neville and Mikael Silvestre are expected to continue their comebacks in the reserves tonight.