United brushed aside the Latics, who self-destructed in the second half with two unnecessary red cards, but perhaps more importantly Rooney made his first appearance since the contract saga that saw the England striker threaten to leave before signing a new five-year deal.
The setbacks suffered by Arsenal and Chelsea made it imperative that United did not slip up too and they made no mistake as headers by Patrice Evra and Javier Hernandez ensured Ferguson's men second spot in the Premier League table, behind Chelsea only on goal difference.
Rooney should have put the icing on the cake by scoring too but passed up a glorious opportunity.
For Wigan, red cards for Antolin Alcaraz and Hugo Rodallega virtually ensured they would get nothing from the game.
Source: PA
Source: PA