Wigan 0 Manchester United 4: So how DID Wayne Rooney get away with that?
Wayne Rooney was at the centre of an elbowing storm as Manchester United went four points clear at the top of the league.
Rooney went unpunished after catching Wigan's James McCarthy on the side of the head early on in the game with the score goalless.
The England striker went on to play a major part in United's first three goals to leave defeated manager Roberto Martinez hinting that referee Mark Clattenburg might not have dealt with one of his lesser-known Wigan players so leniently.
The ninth-minute incident occurred off the ball when Rooney tried to run past McCarthy on the edge of the United area.
MARTINEZ: That was a clear red card for an elbow. He's very lucky
FERGUSON: It was nothing. But you lot will want him electrocuted
As the youngster seemed to cut off Rooney's space, the striker responded with what TV replays suggested was a forearm smash that left the Wigan player furiously rubbing his left ear in pain.
Martinez came to the edge of his technical area to protest but Clattenburg decided a stiff word with Rooney rather than a card would suffice.
His decision to award Wigan a free-kick indicated he had seen the incident, ruling out further FA punishment towards Rooney.
Martinez, whose relegation-threatened side had the better of United until Javier Hernandez's 17th-minute opener, tossed aside his normal diplomacy when questioned.
'Rooney got away with it - he was very fortunate,' said the Spaniard. 'If you see a replay of the incident, his elbow catches my player in the face. It was clearly a red card.
'If it was a Wigan player, he would have been very lucky to still be on the pitch. It was a key moment in the game. If they had gone down to 10 men, it would have been a different proposition.'
Martinez went to see Clattenburg at the interval to get an explanation but the referee told him he did not think it was a red-card offence. 'The disappointing thing is that the referee has seen it and just gave a free-kick,' added Martinez.
Rooney will have to wait to see if the FA charge him for violent conduct but Clattenburg's decision to award a free-kick is likely to work in the United player's favour.
United boss Sir Alex Ferguson claimed: 'It was next to nothing but there will be pressure put on the FA to do something, as there always is regarding Rooney. There is nothing in it. The Press will raise a campaign to get him hung by Tuesday or electrocuted or something like that. It is unbelievable. Watch the Press. It will be interesting to see it.'
With Rooney still on the pitch, United survived an awkward start to maintain their perfect record against Wigan, although the final scoreline was flattering.
For the first 45 minutes, 40-year-old goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar was their best player, making wonderful saves at point-blank range to keep out Victor Moses and McCarthy, and later a flying leap to deny Maynor Figueroa.
Hernandez, preferred to Dimitar Berbatov, made the breakthrough when Nani and Rooney exchanged passes in a swift breakaway down the left-hand side and the Portuguese winger crossed low for 'Chicharito' to finish from close range.
