Wigan 0-2 Man Utd: Erik ten Hag’s side see off League One Latics in FA Cup

Manchester United proved too strong for League One Wigan Athletic as Erik ten Hag’s side moved into the fourth round of the FA Cup.

Rasmus Hojlund’s diving header clipped the bar, Rashford had an attempt fumbled against the post by Wigan goalkeeper Sam Tickle and Alejandro Garnacho’s well-hit 20-yard effort also bounced off the woodwork as United pushed for a second.

Martial Godo failed to make a clean connection from six yards to waste a rare chance of an equaliser for the hosts before United secured the victory in the second half.

Bruno Fernandes won a penalty, with his foot clipped by Liam Shaw’s challenge, before the Portuguese midfielder got up to convert from the spot for United’s second goal.

The draw for the fourth round took place just before kick-off and Manchester United will face either Newport County, 18th in League Two, or non-league Eastleigh – 11th in the National League and the second-lowest ranked side remaining.

Those clubs will have a replay next week after it ended 1-1 at the weekend in south Wales, with round four taking place over the last weekend of January.

The match was played in front of the first sold-out crowd at DW Stadium in more than 10 years, with Wigan, who almost went out of business in the summer before being rescued when local businessman Mike Danson bought the club, looking to cause the shock of the round.

The attendance of 22,870 was the highest at the ground since 23,001 watched Wigan play Aston Villa on 19 May 2013 – the Latics’ last match in the Premier League.

Professional United get job done

The home side nearly made a dream start but Thelo Aasgaard’s strike, with only the goalkeeper to beat, was superbly saved by Andre Onana in what could be his last match for United before he joins the Cameroon squad for the Africa Cup of Nations.

That attempt gave the home fans hope of watching Wigan, 18th in League One, create their biggest FA Cup shock since beating Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City 1-0 in the fifth round at DW Stadium in 2018, also as a League One side.

The FA Cup is United’s last remaining hope of salvaging something from a tough season that has already seen them lose 14 times.

They are eighth in the Premier League, their defence of the Carabao Cup ended in the last 16 and a miserable Champions League campaign saw them not only finish bottom of the group but ended their involvement in European football before Christmas.

The importance of this competition was shown with Ten Hag naming his strongest side possible and his team then threatened to overpower a team 54 places below them in the English football pyramid.

Scott McTominay and Rashford failed to convert chances, and it was no surprise when the visitors went ahead through Dalot’s excellent curling shot.

Hojlund and McTominay missed opportunities as United should have wrapped up the tie before half-time.

Wigan, managed by Shaun Maloney – a member of the side that beat Manchester City 1-0 in the 2013 final for the finest moment in the club’s history – had to soak up a lot of pressure, but could have levelled had Godo adjusted his feet quicker when central, or if Stephen Humphrys’ shot had deflected into the bottom corner instead of going just wide.

But the Latics never looked like forcing an equaliser before Fernandes’ penalty clinched a deserved, much-needed victory for United.