Alexander Büttner, second from right, scores the third goal for Manchester United against Wigan Athletic. Photograph: Jason Cairnduff/Action Images
BY: Jamie Jackson at Old Trafford for the guardian.co.uk,
On an afternoon raining landmark numbers for Sir Alex Ferguson and three of his stalwarts a weaker Manchester United XI had little trouble with Wigan Athletic‘s 3-5-2.
Ferguson was taking charge of a 500th home league encounter, Paul Scholes notching his 700th United appearance, Ryan Giggs the 600th in the Premier League and Rio Ferdinand’s count was taken to 400 in the 19-times champions colours.
The desired result for them came courtesy of strikes from Scholes, Javier Hernández, a buccaneering third from Alexander Büttner and a 25-yarder from his fellow debutant, Nick Powell.
Scholes showed he still retains his nose-for-a-goal when sniffing in the area on 51 minutes. Michael Carrick’s awareness had him pivoting and finding Nani, who was lurking to the right. The Portuguese winger struck a cross-shot that Ali al-Habsi only parried and Scholes smashed home for a 107th league strike to make it 34 Premier League clubs he has now scored against.
Hernández’s goal came after smart work from Giggs and Büttner. Iván Ramis became the latest added to the Welshman’s file of patsies when a hip-swivel left him floundering. When Giggs lost, then retook possession, he flipped the ball to the Dutch left-back, in for a Patrice Evra not included in the match-day 18. Büttner’s delivery was turned in by Hernández, and better yet was to come from him.
From a wide left berth his run began with Arouna Koné being beaten before Emmerson Boyce, James McCarthy and Ramis were also left trailing. Büttner finished the show by beating Habsi.
This would have been United’s fourth had Hernández not missed a sixth minute penalty won by the theatrics of Danny Welbeck. Habsi saved to his left as karma righted the wrong decision of Michael Oliver, the referee.
A pleasing afternoon for the Reds closed with Powell – on as a replacement – forcing home a second debutant’s goal. That was a 4-0 rout complete. And all without Evra, Robin van Persie and Shinji Kagawa – the latter two starting the afternoon on the bench, only.
Leave a Reply