Manchester United brought so many supporters to the DW Stadium that they occupied the whole of one side of the ground. As bad as United get, and as low as they fall, they keep on coming to watch.
Here, on a freezing cold Lancashire night, United’s support at least got a little of what their patience and their loyalty deserved. Erik ten Hag’s team were professional, diligent and occasionally expansive.
After their goalkeeper Andre Onana bailed them out in the third minute, saving very well from Wigan’s Stephen Humphrys, they dominated their opponents from League One to the extent that they mustered more than 30 shots on goal.
More importantly, two of them went in and Ten Hag was able to head home down the M61 in the knowledge that another week of difficult questions had been averted.
Once again members of Jim Ratcliffe’s INEOS team were here to watch United’s season roll on. It’s United’s support that had made the greater investment on this occasion, though, and it was of an emotional kind.
Manchester United beat Wigan Athletic 2-0 in their FA Cup clash on Monday evening
As a result, Man United have secured their place in the fourth round of the competition
It was Diogo Dalot who opened the scoring for Man United in the 22nd minute of the game
Bruno Fernandes fired home from the penalty spot in the 74th minute to secure their 2-0 win
This game was on terrestrial television and took place at the start of a January week that will end with a home game with Tottenham in the Premier League. There was, in short, plenty reason enough not to be here.
The hordes that came, though, saw their team take a stranglehold on the match after a tricky opening ten minutes. Once full-back Diogo Dalot scored midway through the opening period the pattern of the game was largely set.
And though it took a slightly soft Bruno Fernandes penalty to secure passage to round four in the 74th minute, Wigan had long since disappeared from the game as an attacking presence.
Shaun Maloney’s team – 18th in the third tier and on a run of one win in six games – played some admirably neat football, building play from the back whenever possible.
But at times it seemed as though Wigan may benefit from a little directness. Quite simply, they didn’t spend enough time in the United half.
In the end, Wigan emerged from the game with self-respect and honour intact but also perhaps with the knowledge that they never really threatened to cause any kind of upset.
United defender Rafael Varane ended the contest with a bloody nose after being caught by a stray elbow. That apart, Wigan didn’t really lay a glove on the team from the Premier League.
United actually secured one of their 20 League titles on this ground back in 2008. But that was then and this is now and this is different.
Nights like these feel like obstacles to this up and down United team and had Onana not bailed them out in the third minute, there would have a hill, if not perhaps a mountain, to climb to ensure this was not a night rendered memorable for all the wrong reasons.
The truth is that United were slow to start and Wigan were not. Only two minutes or so had passed when Wigan’s forward player Martial Godo – on loan from Fulham – ran free down the right and crossed low to the far post.
The first time contact from Humphrys was true and the ball was struck low. Onana had made good ground to his back stick, though, and was able to block the shot athletically with his legs.
In the stands, grown men were already half in embrace. Wigan fans felt their team were about to score. But thereafter the game fell in to a more comfortable pattern for United and they proceeded to dominate quite comfortably.
On the whole it was United’s pace that Maloney’s team could not deal with. The midfield pair of Scott McTominay and young Kobbie Mainoo laid a platform of possession on which United could build and as Ten Hag’s forward players began to come at them from all angles, Wigan could not really cope.
United spent the game dominating possession and looking to find a way through the hosts
Roy Keane was less than impressed with Rasmus Hojlund's performance on Monday night
United missed several big chances - having 17 shots in that first half and with their xG 2.31
Alejandro Garnacho hit the crossbar from 20 yards out in the first half of the game
United should really have scored before Dalot eventually did in the 22nd minute. Wigan goalkeeper Sam Tickle saved a Marcus Rashford snapshot low by his right hand post just before the quarter hour then six minutes later McTominay somehow placed a shot wide after a Fernandes exchange of passes with Dalot had opened Wigan up like a can of beans. And then, almost inevitably, the goal arrived.
Alejandro Garnacho, who was soon to hit the bar from distance, crossed from the right side, Wigan could not fully clear and when Dalot moved on to the ball he curled a shot towards the far corner from 18 yards that Tickle was never likely to stop.
It was a body blow to Wigan and they didn’t really recover. Tickle fumbled a low Rashford shot on to his post, Rasmus Hojlund was denied by the goalkeeper’s leg from an angle and then headed another Garnacho cross on to the top of the bar when he really should have scored.
By the time United sealed the game deep in the second half, their football had lost a little of its zip. Wigan, though, threatened only once in all that time, Godo dashing down the left this time only to miss his opportunity to pass to the far past where supporting colleagues were arriving.
Godo had a chance of his own but couldn't get a clean connection on a shot from six yard
Stephen Humphrys came close to finding the net but had his shot deflected wide of the post
Manchester United manager, Erik ten Hag, will be relieved to make it through to the next round