12月14日举行的英超联赛中，曼联坐镇老特拉福德球场，迎战刚刚在联赛中经历过4连败的升班马维冈竞技队，结果曼联最终以4：0的比分击败对手。

    据路透社12月14日报道，上半场比赛中，曼联英格兰后卫费迪南德接吉格斯右路开出的角球头球攻门，率先打破僵局，帮助曼联取得1：0领先。本场比赛是费迪南德代表曼联第140次出场。此后，曼联小将鲁尼分别在上下半场各入1球，而荷兰前锋范尼斯特鲁伊也锦上添花，打入曼联本场比赛的第4球。此轮获胜后，曼联积分窜升至34分，同联赛“领头羊”切尔西队的积分差距缩小到9分，重新燃起追赶切尔西队的希望。而维冈竞技队本场告负后仍然积25分，排名下降到第8名。

    “这场比赛的胜利对我们意义重大，”赛后曼联主教练弗格森在接受天空电视台记者采访时表示：“我们的表现很精彩。在进了第2个球以后，全队上下比较踏实，信心也重新回来了。接下来我们唯一要做的就是保持良好、稳定的状态，直到赛季结束。如果这期间切尔西队稍有闪失的话，我们希望曼联将成为离他们最近的那支球队。”

    本场比赛的胜利可以说从根本上将曼联球员从前一段欧洲冠军联赛被淘汰和英超联赛里被埃弗顿队逼平的恶梦中唤醒，同时通过这场比赛，曼联也再一次向人们展示出不俗的进攻能力。

    本场比赛是维冈队主教练杰维尔执教该队的第200场联赛。虽然该队球员阿兰·马洪也曾在比赛中几次对曼联门将范德萨把守的球门造成危险，险些破门，但最终未能如愿，而0：4的结局对于杰维尔来说已经毫无纪念意义。

    Wayne Rooney scored twice and Rio Ferdinand grabbed his first goal for Manchester United in a 4-0 rout of Wigan Athletic which pushed the Old Trafford club up to second in the Premier League on Wednesday.

    In the night's other game, West Ham United beat Everton 2-1 at Goodison Park.

    The victory by Manchester United, which took their tally to 34 points from 16 games, helped Alex Ferguson's men leapfrog Liverpool into second place, nine points behind leaders Chelsea.

    Promoted Wigan, on 25 points, dropped one place to eighth.

    "It was an important win for us tonight," Ferguson told Sky Sports. "We produced some great football.

    "The second goal settled us down and the confidence came back into the team.

    "The only thing we can do is keep good, consistent form until the end of the season and if Chelsea slip up we want to be the team that's nearest to them."

    United ended a difficult seven-day spell by giving their title rivals a powerful reminder of their goalscoring abilities.

    Knocked out of the Champions League a week ago and held to a 1-1 home draw by Everton last Sunday, United made the early running against Wigan and it came as no surprise when the home team took the lead although the identity of the scorer was.

    Ferdinand, making his 140th appearance for the club, finally ended his wait for a goal when the England defender headed in a right-wing corner from Ryan Giggs on the half hour.

    Rooney was denied by a fine save from Wigan's outstanding goalkeeper Mike Pollitt before the England striker produced a typically clever strike to make it 2-0 in the 34th minute.

    After wriggling his way past two defenders in the box, Rooney unleashed a fierce low drive with his left foot to record his seventh league goal of the season.

    Rooney missed an open goal six minutes into the second half, hitting the bar from four metres with Pollitt out of position.

    But the former Everton favourite made no mistake in the 55th minute, lifting the ball over the onrushing keeper after being sent clear by Ruud van Nistelrooy.

    Van Nistelrooy added the fourth goal from the penalty spot after he was adjudged to have been brought down by Pollitt.

    Paul Jewell's 200th league game in charge of Wigan proved a less than memorable occasion for the manager.

    Alan Mahon came close to scoring for the visitors, twice forcing full-length saves from Edwin van der Sar in Wigan's first ever game against United.

    At Goodison, James Beattie gave Everton a ninth-minute lead before West Ham hit back through David Weir (own goal) and Bobby Zamora.

    West Ham rose to seventh in the table while Everton stayed 15th.