Wigan 0 Man Utd 4: Ferguson heaps praise on ‘magnificent’ Van Persie

Sir Alex Ferguson heaped praise on Robin van Persie after Manchester United secured an emphatic victory over Wigan Athletic at the DW Stadium.

Javier Hernández pounced on a loose ball in the area to give United a first-half lead after Ali Al-Habsi failed to parry Robin van Persie’s shot to safety.

The pair then combined to double the Red Devils’ lead just before half-time, with the Netherlands international dribbling past two defenders and curling his effort into the net.

Hernández was on hand to finish from close range again when Al-Habsi deflected Van Persie’s free-kick into his path, and the Dutchman completed his brace on the stroke of full-time.

“Wigan are a difficult team to play against, particularly at their own ground so 4-0 is a good result for us,” Ferguson told BBC Sport.

“The game started slowly but once we got the first goal we were away and we were happy to go in a half-time 2-0 up.

“Javier Hernández is a goal-scorer, a real penalty box player. Van Persie’s ability to play is exceptional and his first goal was magnificent.

“We expected him to be a major player and add something to us and that is exactly what he has done.”

Wigan boss Roberto Martínez conceded that his side struggled to cope with the Premier League leaders after a demanding set of fixtures over the festive period.

“It was very unfair to play against the league leaders in a period like that,” Martinez said.

“We didn’t have the legs or the reaction and you have to congratulate Manchester United.

“They had the luxury of making changes and Van Persie and Hernandez looked brighter and sharper. In the end it was a mismatch.”

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