Wigan Athletic 0-4 Manchester United - Barclays Premier League

Javier Hernandez made it a lucky 13 goals for the season as Manchester United charged four points clear of Arsenal with a clinical victory at Wigan Athletic.

Sir Alex Ferguson declared the Barclays Premier League title battle was now a straight fight between his own side and the Gunners, and with trips to Chelsea and Liverpool looming, United could not have made a better start to their week on the road.

Preferred to Dimitar Berbatov, Hernandez justified the faith of his manager, turning home Nani's first-half cross before finishing Wayne Rooney's brilliant second-half through ball.

Rooney and Fabio then scored in the final minutes to leave relegation-threatened Wigan thoroughly deflated at a result that did not reflect their performance.

Three times Edwin van der Sar needed to make outstanding saves, whilst skipper Nemanja Vidic was a towering presence in the United defence.

Ferguson often speaks of his regret at failing to land Van der Sar in 1999 when he was searching for Peter Schmeichel's replacement.

At the time, the giant Dutchman was at Ajax and about to leave for Juventus. Instead, Ferguson tried a number of alternatives. Some were better than others and titles kept being won.

But was not until Van der Sar arrived from Fulham in 2005 that concern about the goalkeeping position ended.

This summer, Ferguson must hope for more success as Van der Sar heads off into retirement, having hit the 40-mark but still capable of producing the brilliance that has categorised his career.

Two first-half saves were responsible for United having a half-time lead at the DW Stadium when they could easily have been behind.

A poor back-pass from Paul Scholes presented Victor Moses with the first opportunity.

Moses strode into the United box with only Van der Sar to beat. He failed, blasting his shot against his imposing opponent's chest.

That was when the contest was still goalless. Within seconds of United's opener, Wigan were in again.

This time Moses was the provider, drilling a low cross to the far post where the combative James McCarthy was on his own six yards out.

Again, only Van der Sar stood between Wigan and the net. Once more he came out on top.

That Hernandez had scored in between only added to the Latics' frustrations.

The Mexican, preferred to Dimitar Berbatov, tends not to look as dangerous when starting matches.

He clearly knows how to find space, though. And, having once been denied by Ali Al Habsi after streaking clean through, the Mexican wriggled into enough space to steer home Nani's 17th-minute cross.

It was tough luck on Wigan, who were the better side, frustrating Scholes and Rooney in particular.

They were forced to survive another near thing for Wigan before they took command, though.

This time, Van der Sar needed agility rather than reactions to deny Maynor Figueroa.

Nani came close to doubling the visitors' lead when he thrashed a fierce shot into the side-netting, not long after he had been repelled by Ali Al Habsi's firm one-handed save.

Ferguson made comparisons between Nani and Cristiano Ronaldo earlier this week.

United's current Portugal winger is certainly a major attacking threat and Al Habsi repelled him with the first part of a double save, when he also denied Darren Fletcher, who had been set up by Rooney.

The England man may still be struggling for goals himself but he remains an excellent source of them.

After failing to convert a close range header, Rooney collected Hernandez's knock-down, then fed the Mexican with a delicately weighted pass.

Clean though, the Mexican found the bottom corner with ease.

Victory assured, a Rooney tap-in from Berbatov's square ball, followed by Fabio's close-range finish, his first United goal, merely rubbed Wigan's noses in it at the start of an eight-day period when, one senses, the strength of their title credentials will be discovered once and for all.

Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-1 Manchester United - Barclays Premier League

The 41st goal of a record day for scoring in the Barclays Premier League ended Manchester United's long unbeaten run as Wolverhampton Wanderers claimed another notable scalp at Molineux.

United's name can now go alongside Manchester City and Chelsea as title contenders who have lost at the Black Country venue after Wolves bounced back from an early goal, then repelled a fierce second-half pummelling.

By the final whistle, the Red Devils had lost their cool, reduced to the desperation of Paul Scholes trying to push the ball into the net to salvage a point.

It did not work and Wolves were able to celebrate thanks to a George Elokobi header which levelled Nani's third-minute opener and a winner whose scorer was disputed - Elokobi and Kevin Doyle both claimed to get the final tough to Nenad Milijas' 40th-minute free-kick - but whose value was unquestioned.

Indeed, as the frenzied roar greeted the final whistle, it seemed somehow in keeping with an extraordinary day, that the top club should lose to the bottom, their lead at the top trimmed to four points over a team that themselves tossed away a four-goal lead.

Judging by the way they began, it seemed as though both Wolves and United had spent the afternoon watching the drama unfold elsewhere and wanted a piece of the action themselves.

Certainly there was precious little attention paid to the defensive side of the match as large holes appeared in midfield and both outfits flew forward at every opportunity.

Milijas had already narrowly failed with one effort before United went in front.

There appeared little danger when Nani collected possession on the right flank. But Elokobi relaxed for a moment, the Portugal winger stepped inside and then beat Wayne Hennessey at his near post with a shot the Wolves goalkeeper should have kept out.

Had Rooney not continued the improvement in goalscoring in evidence in midweek, the visitors might not have been caught.

Instead, he failed to get enough power behind his shot after Dimitar Berbatov had threaded through an excellent pass, allowing Hennessey to make the save.

Wolves made the most of their reprieve too. Having lost Rio Ferdinand to an injury sustained in the warm-up, United's defence was a touch short of the cohesion required.

And when the loose ball from a corner was shovelled back out to Matt Jarvis, Elokobi beat Nemanja Vidic to the cross and headed into the bottom corner.

What followed had the fans of both teams on their feet and the managers tearing their hair out.

Clear chances came and went at both ends with unstoppable regularity.

For Nani, Ryan Giggs and Berbatov at one end, read Kevin Doyle, Milijas and O'Hara at the other. O'Hara was denied by a superb feet-first save from Edwin van der Sar after he had tried his luck from an acute angle.

Wolves did not give up. And with United's defence looking vulnerable, it was no surprise the hosts got their noses in front before the interval.

Milijas was the provider, floating an excellent free-kick deep into the United area. There was some confusion among the players over the identity of the scorer, although it went down as Elokobi's goal.

As the debate between Elokobi and Doyle raged after both claimed it, the unavoidable truth was that with the ball once again nestling in the bottom left-hand corner of Van der Sar's goal, Wolves were ahead.

Ferguson made one change at half-time and two more midway through the second period after Scholes' arrival had failed to trigger a comeback.

The exit of Berbatov was slightly surprising on two counts - first his goals, but also because Rooney was showing signs of frustration.

Christophe Berra threw himself in front of a Rooney blockbuster, emphasising the hosts' fighting spirit.

United were increasingly desperate. Scholes' act the ultimate admission of defeat.