Wigan boss explains why Manchester United were so ‘brilliant’ in FA Cup win

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Wigan Athletic manager Shaun Maloney paid a gracious tribute to a ‘brilliant’ Manchester United side after Diogo Dalot and Bruno Fernandes fired Erik ten Hag’s outfit into the fourth round of the FA Cup.

The only ‘magic of the cup’ on show at the DW Stadium on Monday night came from the glittering feet of Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo, Manchester United making short work of their third-tier opponents as Ten Hag’s teen sensations produced a very passable impression of a baby-faced Cristiano Ronaldo and a reborn Michael Carrick.

Garnacho and Mainoo were the stand-out performers, the Red Devils cruising into round four with a performance far more dominant than the eventual 2-0 scoreline suggests.

Diogo Dalot opened the scoring with a fine finish, before Bruno Fernandes sealed the win with a penalty he himself earned.

Wigan Athletic 0-2 Manchester United

“In terms of effort, I’m very, very proud of what the players gave me,” Maloney, who scored a famous winner for The Latics against United back in 2012, told Wigan Today at full-time. “It was a very difficult match.

“United played very, very well, they’re a really tough opponent with the ball. We tried to be as aggressive as we could, we found it tough, but I can’t criticise any of my players after that.

“We needed some big saves from our goalkeeper at times. But (Man United) were brilliant, the way they kept going.”

As you might expect, there was a considerable gulf in class between one of the Premier League’s powerhouses and a team sitting 18^th in the third-tier. United dominated nearly 70 per cent of the possession and mustered 33 shots on goal, with Scott McTominay, Marcus Rashford and Rasmus Hojlund all squandering excellent chances to extend the lead.

Red Devils cruise into FA Cup round four

Of course, things could have been very different had Thelo Aasgaard found a way past Andre Onana shortly after kick-off.

“It might have changed the dynamic of that part of the game,” Maloney reflects. “But I have to be fair to Manchester United. They also created a lot of chances as well.

“In these types of games, chances can be limited, and it was a big chance. But I can’t criticise Thelo or any of the players, they all gave me everything.”