New Year Cheers as United Close Gap

MU 5, Wigan 0. Rooney was inspired the team to a victory which closes the gap on Chelsea to two points.

Rooney was very good, but Valencia terrorised Wigan, the Ecuador winger feasting on feeble opposition in much the same way as Ronaldo used to do. He set up three of United’s goals before scoring the fifth from Rooney’s layoff, giving Maynor Figueroa the kind of pasting from which some players do not recover.

“It was an excellent performance,” Ferguson said. “I think the first 45 minutes were the best we have seen this season, the fluid movement and the tempo we set were terrific.