Manchester United progress after comfortable FA Cup win at Wigan

Shaun Maloney wanted to pose Manchester United the dual question of whether they could out-fight and out-play his Wigan Athletic team. Unfortunately for the Wigan manager and boyhood United fan, the answer was a convincing yes as Erik ten Hag’s troubled team avoided a late third round upset to overcome the League One side at the DW Stadium.

Diogo Dalot and a Bruno Fernandes penalty secured United a fourth round tie away at either League Two Newport County or Eastleigh of the National League. The visitors dominated against Wigan, who were hoping for another FA Cup upset in front of their biggest home attendance in a decade but only really threatened one in the opening minutes. The gulf told, although United’s wastefulness in front of goal spared Wigan greater punishment.

Ineos executives Dave Brailsford and Jean-Claude Blanc took a front row seat in the directors’ box, alongside former United CEO David Gill, as they continue their review into the inner workings of Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s latest investment. It was an uncomfortable opening for the Premier League club, players and officials alike, as Wigan almost made a dream start by scoring from their first attack. Sean Clare sent Martial Godo sprinting away down the right when the League One side hit United on the counterattack. Godo picked out the unmarked Thelo Aasgaard with a low cross to the back post and it needed a fine save from André Onana to prevent the Liverpool-born, Norway under-21 international converting with a first time shot.

Maloney’s team were confident and positive in possession with Fulham loanee Godo prominent in the early stages. Wigan’s ambition made for a flowing, open cup tie, and United’s superior technique and movement gradually told. The visitors should have been out of sight by the interval but a combination of poor finishing, good goalkeeping and misfortune limited ten Hag’s side to a slender one-goal advantage.

United took the lead through an excellent finish from Dalot. Marcus Rashford teed up the left back after his initial shot had been blocked by defender Liam Morrison. There was a packed penalty area between Dalot and goal when he lined up a shot from the edge of the box, but he curled a precise shot beyond Wigan goalkeeper Sam Tickle and into the bottom corner.

Rashford was involved in most of United’s best moments, although was also wasteful, and brought the first save from Tickle with a low shot that the keeper reacted to sharply. Scott McTominay had another good chance before Dalot struck but side-footed well wide from a Fernandes pass. Rashford thought he had doubled the visitors’ lead moments after the breakthrough when Tickle fumbled the striker’s shot against a post. To Wigan’s relief, he was just able to retrieve the ball before it crossed the line.

Tickle denied a Rasmus Højlund shot with his legs and was reprieved again when parrying a swerving Rashford shot straight into the path of the Denmark forward. The ball struck Højlund and trickled wide of Tickle’s goal. Alejandro Garnacho struck the crossbar from distance and McTominay missed yet another clear opening when launching himself at a Fernandes cross only to head wide from close range.

Wigan opportunities were few and far between, on account of struggling to escape the close attentions of Kobbie Mainoo, Jonny Evans and Raphaël Varane rather than a lack of intent on their part, but leading goalscorer Stephen Humphrys went close with a drive that deflected wide with Godo looking on.

United continued to dominate possession after the break but were almost punished for the basic error of falling asleep at a Wigan throw-in. Aasgaard strolled away from Evans to the by-line and centred for Godo, perfectly placed on the penalty spot and also left unmarked by the United defence. The winger, perhaps surprised by the ease of the chance, miscued his volley badly off target.

The impressive Mainoo forced Tickle into a low save from 20 yards and made a vital interception to halt Godo’s surge into the United area when Wigan staged a rare break. McTominay had a decent opening deflected over and Dalot went close with another ambitious attempt as United sought the security of a second goal. The irritation of the away fans at Rashford’s casual approach was notable while the tie somehow remained in the balance.

The England international produced a telling response, however, with a key contribution to United’s second goal too. Rashford burst past Clare to the by-line where, having previously ran the ball out of play or shot into a Wigan defender, he pulled an intelligent ball back for Fernandes. Liam Shaw stretched out a leg in an attempt to intercept Rashford’s pass and that was all the invitation the United captain required to go to ground after a slight touch of toes. Referee Anthony Taylor took his time before pointing to the spot, to the disgust of the majority of the DW Stadium, and Fernandes ignored the jeers to send Tickle the wrong way with a supremely confident penalty.