The end-of-year celebrations came a day early at Old Trafford as United saw out 2009 with a flourish, disposing of Wigan Athletic with ease and panache.
Wayne Rooney was the bright spark, while Rafael and Antonio Valencia also impressed in a second 5-0 win over Wigan this season. Rooney, Michael Carrick, Rafael, Dimitar Berbatov and Valencia all found the net as United’s excellent run of big wins against the Latics continued unabated. Roberto Martinez’s men simply had no response to an imposing Reds display.
Sir Alex can celebrate his 68th birthday on New Year’s Eve safe in the knowledge United are within striking distance of leaders Chelsea (two points behind). He made just one change from the team that beat Hull on Sunday; Ji-Sung Park replacing Ryan Giggs on the left flank - such continuity has been rare given the chopping and changing the United boss has been forced into in recent weeks.
This fixture has been kind to United though; the Reds have won all ten meetings with Wigan, scoring 30 goals. Now was no time to stop that free-scoring trend. Sir Alex’s men set out on a pursuit to continue it with unrelenting determination. The first attempt on goal came in the fourth minute when Valencia, who shone against his former club, made a darting run into the area and forced a fine, low save from Chris Kirkland in the Wigan goal.
After 15 minutes Rooney, who looked right up for this match from the off, arced in a wonderful cross from the right that Berbatov headed tamely at Kirkland. The Bulgarian had a penalty claim turned down by referee Lee Mason moments later, before Rooney warmed the palms of Wigan’s goalkeeper with a stinging 25-yard drive. From the resulting corner Nemanja Vidic’s shot was cleared off the line by Paul Scharner. The Reds were well in the mood.
Seconds later Rooney – now at the centre of everything – went even closer with an ingenious bit of play. He was too quick and too clever for Maynor Figueroa, nutmegging the Latics full-back before beating Kirkland from a tight angle, only to see a wondergoal denied by the inside of the post. On a perilously cold Manchester night, Rooney was providing a bit of warmth.
The goal that United, and Rooney, so richly deserved arrived on 28 minutes following a well-worked move. Wes Brown broke out of defence and fed a pass to Valencia on the right. Ever-keen to advance, Rafael overlapped and received the ball, firing in a vicious cross that Rooney toed past Kirkland. United’s second arrived just four minutes later with another fine attack. Berbatov’s beautiful outside-of-the-boot pass found Valencia in space wide on the right. The obvious pass was to pick out Rooney’s run into the area, but the Ecuadorian instead opted to cut the ball back to Carrick lurking on the edge of the box, and United’s no.16 calmly side-footed the ball home to make it 2-0.
The third goal came on the stroke of half-time and was just reward for Rafael’s outstanding display. United were patient in the approach play, and the Brazilian’s forward run was well picked out by Fletcher. Rafael did well to keep the ball in his possession surrounded by a posse of Wigan defenders, before striking a left-footed shot into the far corner. His celebration was a touching show of brotherly love, running to the dug-out and pointing to Fabio on the bench.
Wigan have been on the end of some hammerings this term. They conceded nine goals at Tottenham, five at home to United and four each against Arsenal and Portsmouth. Perhaps it was an impending sense of doom that forced Kirkland off at half-time, replaced by Michael Pollitt. Within two minutes the new man was forced into a save from the irrepressible Rooney, who struck powerfully with his left foot. And within five minutes he continued where Kirkland left off - unable to halt United's relentless attack. United's fourth was another goal created on the right flank, Valencia crossing and Berbatov poking home with his right foot.
The United no.9 then turned creator, finding Rooney in space six yards out, but his header rebounded off the crossbar. The question on everyone’s lips was: how many? Well, United weren’t finished there. A triple substitution of Fabio, Anderson and Danny Welbeck (on for Evra, Vidic and Berbatov) added renewed energy. But it was the usual suspects, Rooney and Valencia, who contrived to make it five on 75 minutes and complete the rout. Rooney supplied his team-mate with a delightful through-ball to cut open the Latics defence, and Valencia responded with an equally exquisite, dinked finish past Pollitt.
The victory not only cut Chelsea's lead to two points, it gave a big boost to our goal difference and got the New Year celebrations off to an early start. Overall 2009 has been a good year for United, and this victory sets up an opportunity to make 2010 equally successful.