Andy Hunter was at the DW tonight. Here’s his report … plus details of that fourth-round draw that sends Manchester United to either Newport or Eastleigh. Thanks for reading this MBM.
Wigan boss Shaun Maloney also has his say. “I’m proud of my players … it was a difficult match … when you play an opponent that has that much talent in the final third, it’s very hard to press … I was really happy with our players in those early moments … in these games you have to take those chances … but in fairness Manchester United had a lot of chances as well … a difficult match but a brilliant experience for our players.”
Erik ten Hag talks to ITV. “The FA Cup is all about winning … exactly the word I used in the dressing room: job done … in the first half we created five or six very good chances … it was good football … we should have taken more … but if you don’t score, you have to stay focused and that is what we did … there were some good attacks, some good chances, we didn’t take them but the way we created them was OK … I haven’t seen [the penalty] … it was too far away from my position … [Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s arrival] is an inspiration … everyone is optimistic … there is a lot of work to do … it’s a journey, a project … we have to deal with some setbacks but we will keep alive … we will strike back … all our focus is on Spurs [on Sunday at Old Trafford].”
Diogo Dalot speaks to ITV. “We created a lot of chances … overall we controlled the game … we had some good moments … I’m glad we won … we needed a goal to be a little bit more calm … we could have scored even more … [Sir Jim Ratcliffe] brings some good energy, some new energy, hopefully with positive feelings … new things to conquer … looking to the future with good energy … hopefully we can win a lot of things together … we’re Man United, we play to win every competition, hopefully we can be at Wembley and win it.”
That’s a thoroughly deserved victory for Manchester United. Profligate in front of goal, their play otherwise warranted a bigger haul. Things might have been different had Thelo Aasgaard scored his big early chance, but after that United bossed proceedings. The penalty award may have been on the soft side, but there was contact and Bruno Fernandes dispatched it elegantly, while Diogo Dalot’s opener was sublime. Third-tier Wigan nevertheless played some decent stuff themselves, and will surely take heart from their display as they turn their attention back to their relegation battle.
FULL TIME: Wigan Athletic 0-2 Manchester United
Manchester United will travel to Newport County or Eastleigh in the fourth round!
90 min +2: Wigan replace Godo with Lang, while United switch out Rashford and Hojlund for Hannibal and 19-year-old debutant Omari Forson.
90 min: On ITV, Ally McCoist names Diogo Dalot player of the match. There will be four added minutes.
89 min: Magennis bustles hard under a high ball in the United box, but can’t get it under control. Wigan have kept fighting to the end.
88 min: Varane shoots from the best part of 30 yards. It deflects wide left for a corner. Fernandes saunters over to take. Wigan half-clear. Mainoo crosses from the right. McTominay attempts to chest down but accidentally handles and doesn’t bother following up with a shot.
87 min: Pellistri comes on for Garnacho.
86 min: Fernandes hoicks a wild shot high and wide from 25 yards. He’s in relentless mode right now.
85 min: Aasgaard aims low and hard towards the bottom-left corner from 25 yards. Just wide, but Onana has it covered all the way.
83 min: The opening scorer Dalot is replaced by Kambwala. “That was a stone wall penalty all day long and I’m not a United fan,” writes Rick Harris. Ben Y adds: “No, sorry. Sod contact. That’s mental. I’ve no beef in this game. But I’d have massive issues if he was playing for my team, let alone being captain.” See, Super Ally was right. Opinion’s split.
82 min: Now it’s Garnacho who has a go from a tight angle on the left. Tickle sticks out a strong arm to deflect out for a corner. Fernandes takes the set piece, and whips into the side netting. Think he was looking to score himself there. He wasn’t far away.
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81 min: Smith barrels down the right and fires a shot straight at Onana. United counter at speed, Rashford smashing a low shot from the left-hand edge of the six-yard box right at Tickle, who smothers.
79 min: McManaman’s first act is to attempt a reducer on Garnacho. The pair have a short conversation. It all calms down quickly enough.
78 min: Smith and McManaman – the man of the match in the 2013 final – replace Shaw and Jones.
76 min: That was the softest of penalties. There was minimal contact. Enough to make Fernandes go down? Perhaps not. But Shaw slid in carelessly, and what else is Fernandes going to do? Go down, is what. Penalty. Not sure VAR would have overturned it, either. “It will split opinion,” says Ally McCoist on ITV, and he’ll be proved right on the internet this evening, I’ll be bound. Anyway, Fernandes nearly puts this tie to bed once and for all by creaming a shot straight at Tickle, the keeper making a meal of tipping around the post. Nothing comes of the corner.
GOAL! Wigan Athletic 0-2 Manchester United (Fernandes 74 pen)
Magennis wags his finger in Fernandes’s face awhile. He’s fuming. Fernandes sends Tickle the wrong way and rolls the penalty into the bottom left. Such a cool finish.
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Penalty to Manchester United!
72 min: Fernandes drops a shoulder just inside the box. Shaw comes sliding in, hanging out a leg. Fernandes doesn’t need another invitation. Boot touches boot and he goes down. The referee points to the spot. It’s soft, and Wigan are furious, but there was contact and Fernandes did what he had to do.
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70 min: Jones attacks down the left and crosses low. Varane shovels clear from the middle of a crowded box. Sessegnon returns it to the mixer, throwing long. Fernandes hooks clear. After hanging on for so long, Wigan are beginning to dream again.
69 min: Tickle drop-kicks long and flat. It’s a cute gamble that very nearly releases Magennis on goal. Evans reads the danger and comes across to shepherd the ball through to Onana.
67 min: Wigan break immediately upfield through Godo, who tears into space down the left. He can’t find Jones in the middle, and Mainoo turns the ball out for a corner. From the set piece, Godo probes down the left again, and shoots from an extremely tight angle. Onana claims in the light-entertainment-infused juggling style.
66 min: Garnacho crosses from the right. The ball pings back to McTominay, who looks to scream a diagonal riser into the top-left. Hughes deflects out for a corner, from which Fernandes has a whack from the left-hand edge of the D. That’s deflected out too, and the third corner comes to nought.
64 min: A slight lull, during which the fans trade insults. Wigan taunt the United faithful with a chorus of We Support Our Local Team; the visiting fans reply with You’ve Only Come To See United. Spotify playlist up later.
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63 min: Two United shots in short order. The first by Mainoo, towards the bottom-left corner and well saved by Tickle. The second clearing the bar in the rugby style by Dalot, who to be fair is still well in credit tonight.
61 min: Varane is good to continue. “I had assumed Aasgaard is in there to strengthen Wigan at the back?” writes Ken Burrell. From Norse mythology to bum jokes, your super soaraway Guardian covers all the bases.
60 min: Humphrys, who has been troubled with a hip problem, is replaced by Magennis. Meanwhile Varane continues to receive treatment; he took a proper clack on the nose there, with blood drawn.
58 min: Aasgaard and Varane compete for a high ball in the middle of the pitch. Both have their eyes clapped on the ball, but Aasgaard swings a cheeky left arm backwards and catches Varane square in the mush. It wasn’t the most vicious of swings, but you’ve seen referees flash red for less. Aasgaard probably fortunate that it’s a third-round tie between David and Goliath … and definitely fortunate that there’s no VAR.
56 min: Rashford is sent scampering into the Wigan box down the left. He’s got options in the middle, but Morrison sticks to his shoulder and puts him in two minds, and eventually he runs the ball out for a goal kick.
55 min: That’s given Wigan succour, and Godo makes good down the left. He swings towards the far stick. Too much on the cross for Aasgaard, who watches the ball sail over his head and out for a goal kick.
54 min: A rare sortie upfield for Wigan, Aasgaard nipping past a dozing Evans on the right and crossing low for Godo, who takes a fresh-air swing from close range. He should have worked Onana.
53 min: Varane picks up the pace. He drives forward and slides a pass to Fernandes, who shoots instead of feeding Hojlund to his right. He’s within his rights to do so, but the shot’s blocked and hindsight suggests he’d be better served in teeing up his striker.
52 min: United stroke it around patiently. Safe to say they’re better when they pick up the pace.
50 min: Tickle blooters a wild clearance into the heart of the Manchester United section, the fans responding with ironic cheers. Mention of which going to illustrate that there’s nowt much going on at the minute.
48 min: Dalot thinks about shooting from 25 yards, but opts to slide Rashford into space down the left instead. Rashford cuts infield before slicing a wild effort miles to the right of goal.
47 min: United are on the front foot immediately. Garnacho tears down the right only to carelessly run the ball out of play. “While Manchester United have been just as dominant as you’d expect from the difference in league places, they seem all at sea when Wigan attack,” writes Kári Tulinius. “If the Latics somehow snag a goal, this match could get very messy.”
Wigan get the second half started. No changes. “If nominative determinism was a thing,” begins Marie Mayer, “then Aasgaard would find himself in space.” Alex Ross riffs on: “Evans on one side and Aasgaard on the other. The eternal-realm derby.”
The fourth-round draw. For those of you turning up late, it’s already been made. Here are how the numbers came out. Repeats of the 1981 and 2000 finals ahoy!
Watford v Southampton
Blackburn Rovers v Wrexham
Bournemouth v Swansea City
West Bromwich Albion v Brentford or Wolverhampton Wanderers
West Ham United or Bristol City v Nottingham Forest or Blackpool
Leicester City v Hull City or Birmingham City
Sheffield Wednesday v Coventry City
Chelsea v Aston Villa
Ipswich Town v Maidstone United
Liverpool v Norwich City or Bristol Rovers
Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester City
Leeds United v Plymouth Argyle
Crystal Palace or Everton v Luton Town or Bolton Wanderers
Newport County or Eastleigh v Wigan Athletic or Manchester United
Sheffield United v Brighton & Hove Albion
Fulham v Newcastle United
Ties to be played across the weekend of 27 January.
HALF TIME: Wigan Athletic 0-1 Manchester United
United deservedly lead … though they should have scored more. Mind you, it could have all been different had Thelo Aasgaard converted that early chance. As things stand, Erik ten Hag’s side are travelling to either Newport or Eastleigh in the fourth round.
45 min +1: One minute of additional time. Rashford passes in from the left for Fernandes, who spins and looks to send a curler into the top right. Way too high. Goal kick.
45 min: Garnacho dribbles at pace down the right but can’t make space for a cross this time and runs the ball out for a goal kick. But he looks dangerous every time he runs at Wigan.
43 min: Fernandes diddles his way down the left and wedges a sensational cross towards McTominay, racing in, six yards out. McTominay guides his header across Tickle but also wide of the right-hand post. United have missed an increasingly large number of gilt-edged invitations to score. The goal they have scored was crafted out of very little. That’s football, huh.
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41 min: Garnacho strolls in from the right flank, drops a shoulder to make space, and creams a rising shot towards the top-left corner. The ball evades Tickle’s glove – the keeper’s at full stretch – but fails to dip at the last and slap-bass twangs the crossbar instead. That’s a hell of a strike; Garnacho so unfortunate not to score.
39 min: The corner is hit long from the right. Hughes belts a loose ball as hard as he can, but only into the nearest red shirt. United counter at pace, but Fernandes sees his cross from the left blocked by Adeeko.
38 min: Rashford clips Godo as he makes his way down the right. Wigan load the United box. Jones taps the free kick to Humphrys, who strolls towards the area, the United defence failing to react. Humphrys smacks a low shot goalwards, the ball deflecting out for a corner.
36 min: Rashford sashays in from the left and pearls a shot goalwards. Tickle parries, but only straight to Hojlund, who again should score but bundles the ball wide right of an unguarded goal from six yards. United come again within the minute, Garnacho fizzing in from the right, Hojlund and McTominay both unable to force home from close range. United are passing up quite a few chances here.
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35 min: Aasgaard attempts to break into space down the middle and is cynically stopped by Hojlund. The referee’s in a laissez-faire mood this evening, and keeps his card in his pocket.
33 min: Rashford wins the argument and aims a vicious looper over the Wigan wall and towards the bottom left. Always wide, and Tickle had it covered.
32 min: Jones skittles Garnacho, 25 yards out, just to the right of centre. Both Rashford and Fernandes want a piece of this.
30 min: United counter immediately, Garnacho crossing from the right. Hojlund must score, but batters his header off the top of the crossbar and out for a goal kick. That really should have been two.
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29 min: Nominative determinism be damned: Godo arrives! Humphrys cuts in from the left and batters a low shot through the mixer. Godo attempts to flick into the bottom-right corner. Wide. He’ll go on.
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27 min: Hojlund enters the box from the left but can’t flick his shot goalwards. United look in the mood to add to their tally. “Wigan appear to be handling their defensive responsibilities assiduously, but lacking a creative outlet,” writes David Crowther. “Would it be fair to assume that they are waiting for Godo?”
26 min: Shaw scythes through the back of Evans in the over-eager puppy style. Just a ticking off, as there was clearly no malice and the ref’s in a good mood, though if we’re being honest it was probably worth a yellow card.
24 min: United so nearly add a second in short order. Rashford latches onto a low right-wing cross and smashes a first-time shot towards the bottom left. Tickle should claim … and does, but only after fumbling the ball onto the base of the left-hand post, spinning around, and flopping over it on the line. Rashford saucily celebrates a goal, but it’s nowhere near crossing the line.
GOAL! Wigan Athletic 0-1 Manchester United (Dalot 22)
This had been coming. Garnacho’s cross from the right is missed by Hojlund in the middle. Rashford picks up possession on the left and rolls back up the channel for Dalot. From the edge of the box, Dalot opens his body and steers an unstoppable curler across Tickle and into the bottom right. That’s a lovely finish.
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20 min: Fernandes one-twos with Dalot down the inside-left channel, and flicks infield for McTominay, who arriving from deep breaks into the box, takes a touch, and flicks a cheeky shot across Tickle and inches wide of the right-hand post. Had that been on target, it was in; the keeper was beaten all ends up. A lovely United move.
19 min: Rashford again twists and turns down the left. Clare defends doggedly, refusing to budge. Another corner, which Wigan deal with easily enough.
18 min: A United corner out on the left. Fernandes curls it towards the near post, where Hojlund and Varane hope to flick on. Aasgaard gets there first instead, and knocks out for another corner, at which nothing occurs. United on top, though Wigan are holding their own so far.
16 min: Jones is penalised for handball out on the United right. The visitors load the box. Fernandes sends a flat free kick into the mixer. Cleared with ease by the hosts. “If United’s new midfield hope goes on to a glittering international career and becomes a ‘Sir’ after captaining England to the 2034 World Cup, the headline will surely be ‘Man United’s Mainoo Knighted’,” daydreams Alex Ross. “I wonder if loose nominative determinism helps one rise through the Man U ranks?”
15 min: Rashford twists and turns down the inside-left channel before whistling a low shot towards the bottom-left corner. Tickle gets down to stick out a strong hand and turn the ball out for a corner. A superb effort with a save to match. Nothing comes of the resulting corner.
13 min: Humphrys comes in from the right flank but over-elaborates with the old stepovers and loses possession. A promising Wigan attack – launched initially by Godo’s positive drive forward – comes to an end.
11 min: The game finally settles down a bit. It’s so open, though. Great entertainment, with Wigan playing their part.
9 min: Clare dribbles into the United box, hard and fast, from the right flank. For a second, it looks as though a chance to shoot will open up, but he dallies too long and Mainoo closes him down. There is absolutely no way this match will end goalless.
7 min: United are getting plenty of joy down this left flank. Dalot crosses long. Garnacho tries to hook goalwards but is closed down quickly. Blocked and cleared.
6 min: Rashford’s turn to cross from the left. Hughes clears this time. “Aasgaard, capped with Norway at the U-21 level, was born in Liverpool and his middle name is Gerard,” reports Peter Oh. “I can’t think of a better person to score the winner against United today.” Has he already had his one big chance? Yes. Very possibly, yes.
4 min: United counter, and Evans makes his way down the left before swinging a cross in that’s cleared by Sessegnon. A lovely open feel to this match already!
3 min: The first big chance … and it goes to Wigan! Godo barrels down the right and whips a low ball into the box for Aasgaard, who meets it coming in from the left and blasts straight at Onana! A fine save rather than a big miss. What a stunner that would have been!
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2 min: United keep hold of the ball for the first couple of minutes. A pattern already set, of that there’s surely little doubt. “I live near Eastleigh, and the draw is potentially enticing. A chance to see a great club, and also Man Utd.” Damian Clarke quipping furiously there, because somebody had to.
Manchester United get the ball rolling. What an atmosphere! No VAR, as well. What an evening!
Anyway, first things first, and here come tonight’s teams! A proper rugby-league atmosphere at the DW Stadium tonight. Wigan wear their blue and white stripes, Manchester United their famous red. We’ll be off in a couple of minutes. “That United team selection screams One-Man Midfield yet again, doesn’t it,” suggests Adam Hirst. “And it is now an 18-year old doing all the heavy lifting instead of a much-decorated Brazilian international. Let’s hope it doesn’t wear Mainoo out as quickly as it did Casemiro, which took about seven months.”
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The glamour tie of that fourth-round draw is … well, let’s see if Eastleigh and Manchester United can get through their respective ties. Newport v Manchester United wouldn’t be half bad either. As for big guns going at it, the repeat of the classic 2000 final between Chelsea and Aston Villa 1981 final between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City shines like a beacon. You’ll get decent odds on another City player scoring at both ends again. Or a Spurs player slaloming past 183 men to score the winner, come to that.
Erik ten Hag speaks to ITV. “The FA Cup is always important … it’s magnificent … so we have experienced players in the team … [Sir Jim Radcliffe] brings inspiration to the club … high ambition … everyone has to match those standards … we look forward to that co-operation.”
Fourth-round draw in full
Watford v Southampton
Blackburn Rovers v Wrexham
Bournemouth v Swansea City
West Bromwich Albion v Brentford or Wolverhampton Wanderers
West Ham United or Bristol City v Nottingham Forest or Blackpool
Leicester City v Hull City or Birmingham City
Sheffield Wednesday v Coventry City
Chelsea v Aston Villa
Ipswich Town v Maidstone United
Liverpool v Norwich City or Bristol Rovers
Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester City
Leeds United v Plymouth Argyle
Crystal Palace or Everton v Luton Town or Bolton Wanderers
Newport County or Eastleigh v Wigan Athletic or Manchester United
Sheffield United v Brighton & Hove Albion
Fulham v Newcastle United
Ties to be played across the weekend of 27 January.
… and the last tie out of the bag …. Fulham v Newcastle United.
Sheffield United v Brighton & Hove Albion
Newport County or Eastleigh v Wigan Athletic or Manchester United
Crystal Palace or Everton v Luton Town or Bolton Wanderers
Leeds United v Plymouth Argyle
Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester City
Liverpool v Norwich City or Bristol Rovers
Ipswich Town v Maidstone United
Chelsea v Aston Villa
Sheffield Wednesday v Coventry City
Leicester City v Hull City or Birmingham City
West Ham United or Bristol City v Nottingham Forest or Blackpool
West Bromwich Albion v Brentford or Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Bournemouth v Swansea City
Blackburn Rovers v Wrexham.
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Here we go then. The first tie. Watford v Southampton.
Before tonight’s game: the fourth-round draw! Coming up right now.
Wigan boss Shaun Maloney – who took the corner that Ben Watson headed home to win the 2013 final - speaks to ITV. “It was just utter joy … I’d love to say I meant to put [that corner] in exactly that area! … you put it in a certain position and it’s just an incredible header … I got the assist but the header was as good as you can get, really … if we have any chance tonight we’re going to need big moments from our defender and goalkeeper … we do have talent in the final third … we’re going to need it tonight … they have to have a belief that they can win the game … I understand the levels between us … but they’ll have moments … if they want to run harder than Man United, and fight harder, they’ll have a chance.”
Manchester United have won this famous old competition 12 times; Wigan just the once. Take your starting point at 2005, though, and it’s a one-all draw. Here’s how the 2013 and 2016 finals played out, minute by glorious minute.
Wigan make two changes to the side that drew 1-1 at Barnsley on New Year’s Day. Stephen Humphrys and Thelo Aasgaard come in for Callum Lang and Josh Magennis, both of whom drop to the bench. Humphrys is Wigan’s leading scorer this season, with nine goals so far in all competitions.
Manchester United go strong, making just two changes to the side that went down 2-1 at Nottingham Forest nine days ago. Rasmus Højlund and Scott McTominay come in for Christian Eriksen and Antony, neither of whom feature today. Erik ten Hag will be hoping his starting XI steer clear of trouble, because the bench is young and inexperienced.
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The teams
Wigan Athletic: Tickle, Sessegnon, Clare, Hughes, Morrison, Jones, Becket Godo, Adeeko, Shaw, Aasgaard, Humphrys.
Subs: Wyke, Amos, Kerr, Jonny Smith, Lang, McManaman, Magennis, Carragher, Robinson.
Manchester United: Onana, Wan-Bissaka, Varane, Evans, Dalot, McTominay, Mainoo, Garnacho, Bruno Fernandes, Rashford, Hojlund.
Subs: Bayindir, Heaton, Pellistri, Mejbri, Shoretire, Kambwala, Forson, Hugill, Bennett.
Referee: Anthony Taylor (Cheshire).
Your Tics team to take on Manchester United in the Emirates FA Cup. 🏆 👊#wafc 🔵⚪️
— Wigan Athletic (@LaticsOfficial) January 8, 2024
🫵 Your United XI to kick off our #FACup campaign! 🔴#MUFC
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) January 8, 2024
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Preamble
Welcome to our coverage of this rerun of the 2006 League Cup final. Manchester United won that one 4-0; you’d expect them, despite their well-reported struggles, to do something similar tonight against a team 18th in League One. Not least because in their last ten meetings with Wigan, they’ve notched up four 4-0 victories over the Latics and three 5-0s. However it’s the third round of the FA Cup, where shocks are possible and dreaming is permissible … and Wigan manager Shaun Maloney has previous against United, having scored the winner in the club’s one and only victory over their illustrious Lancastrian neighbours in 19 meetings, a 1-0 win in April 2012 that went some way to denying Sir Alex Ferguson’s side the Premier League title. Kick off is at 8.15pm GMT. It’s on!
