Manchester United had a RELATIVELY EASY night. You don’t get to say that very often.

It’s not always like that, even when you win.

Wigan lost, though, thanks to goals from Diogo Dalot in the 22nd minute and Bruno Fernandes’ penalty in the 74th minute. This put Manchester United in the fourth round of the FA Cup.

As Eastleigh or Newport waits, more work should be done.

They could even hide the fact that they were having trouble in the league by making it to Wembley.

That was done more than 30 years ago by even the best, like Sir Alex Ferguson.

Erik ten Hag still didn’t understand why two wasn’t four, five, or six, given how many chances they had.

The Dutch manager of United wasn’t taking any chances. Not with the team he put together or in the talk he gave them before the game.

“Every game in the FA Cup, you have to play your best because every team is very motivated,” the Red Devils’ manager said.

“They will give their lives because it’s the most important game of the year or even their whole lives.” That means we have to match it.”

United is eighth in the Premier League and Wigan is 18th in League One, 54 league spots behind. Wigan lost eight points because they didn’t pay their players on time.

The Latics, on the other hand, know better than anyone how magical this game can be.

The last game between Roberto Martinez’s team, which was battling to avoid relegation from the Premier League, and Roberto Mancini’s expensively put-together Manchester City was almost 11 years ago.

Ben Watson’s last-second shot won that game for Wigan. Shaun Maloney, who is now the manager of the Latics, took the corner kick.

United, who has won the title 12 times, was in last year’s final, but their rivals City beat them and finished the second step on their way to the Treble.

Ten Hag’s life has changed since then. It was tough for him going into this game because one of his new bosses, Sir Dave Brailsford, was watching from the stands.

 As he was the last time United played when they lost 2-1 at Nottingham Forest in the Premier League.

Ten Hag put out his best team, and 7,000 United fans, who filled the stands that ran the length of the field, cheered them on.

It was painful for them after only three minutes when Wigan almost took an early lead that would have shocked everyone.

There was no doubt that Martial Godo, a fast striker, was out to punish Dalot.

 Thelo Aasgaard was coming in at the far post to take a first-time shot when he broke down the right and crossed.

Andre Onana has gotten a lot of bad press, but he should be praised for stopping the Wigan player here.

Wigan went for it again when they saw that United was a little scared.

In this case, Sean Clare got past two United players before Kobbie Mainoo made a good stop in the box.

United was in charge for the rest of the half. Fernandes passed the ball to Alejandro Garnacho in the 14th minute, but the 19-year-old’s shot was stopped.

 It got passed to Marcus Rashford, but Wigan goalkeeper Sam Tickle stopped his shot at the foot of the post.

United took the lead at the 22nd minute. Garnacho crossed the ball from the right side. Rashford’s shot was stopped, but the ball came back to him.

On the edge of the area, he passed the ball to Dalot, who curled a fine shot through a group of players and into the bottom corner.

By the break, it should have been more for the tourists. Rashford saw a shot move past the goalie, but he caught it with a raised arm.

Garnacho hit the bar from far away, and he was back to his best. Rasmus Hojlund was not, once more.

When Garnacho crossed from the right side on minute 29, the Dane rose to head it in at the near post, he couldn’t say anything bad about the service.

Hojlund will be glad the linesman raised his flag because he missed a clear shot from close range.

Ten Hag’s Red Devils were determined to keep the tie from the start.

A shot by Mainoo from the edge of the box was blocked.

Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Garnacho set up Scott McTominay, but his shot was deflected over.

At the end of a short corner drill, Fernandes’ shot went wide.

This season, you wonder how many more goals United could score if the goal was just a foot off center.

So many of the chances they make are JUST wide, and they don’t score enough goals because of this.

In this case, things get very heated.

For when Wigan got the ball from a United corner and Godo ran forward—Mainoo had to be quick to get back and block his final shot.

Liam Shaw was called for fouling Fernandes as he checked back, which meant United got that important second goal through a penalty.

It was taken by the captain himself.

He ran up to the ball as if he were going to knock the cover off. As Tickle went the other way, he gently rolled the ball into the bottom left corner.

The job is finally done.