Man U beat Wigan to ease into FA Cup’s fourth round

WIGAN, England (AP):

Manchester United avoided becoming the highest-profile casualty in the third round of the FA Cup by easing past third-tier Wigan with a 2-0 win yesterday.

Portugal internationals Diogo Dalot and Bruno Fernandes – with a penalty – scored United’s goals at DW Stadium to set up a match in the last 32 against either Newport County or Eastleigh, two more lower-league teams.

United, which reached the FA Cup final last season before losing to Manchester City, had lost four of their previous six games in all competitions – increasing the pressure on manager Erik ten Hag – but produced a dominant display against a team that was last in the English Premier League (EPL) in 2013.

That was the same year Wigan won the FA Cup, beating City in the title match in one of the competition’s biggest shocks.

Dalot curled in the opening goal in the 22nd minute, finding the far corner with a precise finish from the edge of the area.

Fernandes added the second in the 74th after being tripped by Liam Shaw.

There have been no major shocks so far in the third round, though EPL West Ham, Nottingham Forest and Luton were all held to draws at home by lower-division opponents.

Man City will continue their title defence with a trip to Tottenham in the standout match in the draw for the fourth round, made just before kick-off of the Wigan-Man United game.

There are three other guaranteed all-Premier League matchups: Chelsea vs Aston Villa, Fulham vs Newcastle and Sheffield United vs Brighton.

Wrexham, the fourth-tier Welsh club owned by Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, must travel to second-tier Blackburn.