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Premier League, Old Trafford – Manchester United 4 (Scholes 51, Hernandez 63, Buttner 66, Powell 82) Wigan Athletic 0.

Four goals in an inspired second-half showing gave Manchester United a comprehensive 4-0 victory over Wigan Athletic in their Premier League encounter at Old Trafford.

A missed spot kick from Javier Hernandez in the fifth minute after a very dubious penalty was awarded left the match goalless at half-time, but goals from Paul Scholes, Hernandez and debutants Alexander Buttner and Nick Powell gave United all three points.

It was a landmark day for three United players: Scholes made his 700th appearance for United, Ryan Giggs became the first player to feature in 600 Premier League games, and Rio Ferdinand hit the 400 mark, and it would prove to be a fine afternoon for all three after an unconvincing first-half showing from the hosts.

Robin Van Persie and Shinji Kagawa were both confined to the bench for United as Sir Alex Ferguson handed a debut to defender Buttner at left-back and Danny Welbeck and Hernandez were paired together in attack.

Anders Lindegaard was again preferred to the dropped David de Gea between the posts, and the Dane was left flat-footed early on as Ivan Ramis rose above Ferdinand to head narrowly wide of the far post from a corner.

Welbeck was very lively early on, and he won his side a penalty in just the fifth minute as he stormed forward and took a dramatic fall as Ali Al Habsi closed him down. Replays showed that there was little or no contact, and Wigan were furious with the decision from referee Michael Oliver.

The visitors’ sense of injustice did not last long, however: Hernandez planted a dismal penalty tamely to Al Habsi’s left, and the Oman goalkeeper was able to make a comfortable save down low with the Mexican left to bemoan his effort.

United, who had won all 14 meetings in all competitions with Wigan prior to their defeat in April last season, did not have things all their own way in the first half as striker Arouna Kone fluffed his kick at the back post after the excellent Jean Beausejour curled over a pinpoint cross.

Nani and Welbeck each managed to get in behind the Wigan back four courtesy of sublime through balls from Scholes, but the Portuguese was too cute with an attempted chip which drifted over the bar, while the latter was denied by an impeccable last-ditch challenge from Maynor Figueroa.

Neither manager made any changes at the break, and Wigan continued where they left off in the second half, building from deep and breaking at pace with Beausejour and Kone using their speed to good effect, stretching the United back four.

But Scholes marked his landmark match with a tap-in from the six-yard box after a fine cross from Nani which Al Habsi could only parry to the midfielder. It was the 37-year-old’s 155th goal for the club, and turned the match decisively the way of the home side.

Just seconds later, Nani roared down the right once more and cut the ball back for Welbeck, whose first touch left him with his back to goal, and his inventive overhead kick just drifted the wrong side of the far post.

Roberto Martinez introduced Jordi Gomez at the expense of Shaun Maloney on the hour mark in an attempt to inspire a fightback from his side, but United continued to dominate the play from midfield, and they made it two as Wigan lost their composure in the penalty area.

Welbeck won the ball back for the hosts superbly in the Wigan box, before debutant Buttner's shot was turned past Al Habsi by Hernandez, who was played onside as he stole in to grab an opportunist goal.

Minutes later, it was game over as the provider turned goalscorer: Buttner rampaged down the left and brushed past both Boyce and Ramis before driving a low shot past the helpless Al Habsi. It was an inspired strike from the defender.

The old guard were withdrawn after 71 minutes as Scholes and Giggs made way for 18-year-old Nick Powell and Van Persie, who had scored four goals from just six shots on target so far for United before the game and netted a staggering 52 goals in his last 58 Premier League games.

Van Persie missed from close range two minutes later as Nani forced his way down the right once more and cut the ball back, but the Dutchman got his feet tangled up and failed to convert from the six-yard box as Al Habsi swooped to gather.

But Powell added more gloss to the scoreline in the 82nd minute. Wigan failed to clear a loose ball on the edge of their own box, and Hernandez found Powell who jinked inside a challenge from Caldwell with real poise before firing an emphatic finish inside the near post.

Ferguson called for his side to be more solid defensively before the match, and he could hardly have wished for a more convincing display from his side at both ends of the field ahead of the Champions League clash with Galatasaray on Wednesday.

MAN OF THE MATCH

Paul Scholes (Manchester United) – On his 700th appearance, it was the midfielder who broke the deadlock with an opportunist close-range finish, and his creativity from deep that kept Wigan on the back foot for most of the game.

Manchester United came from three goals down to draw 3-3 at Chelsea in a pulsating Premier League match at Stamford Bridge.

Second-half strikes from Juan Mata and David Luiz added to a first-half own-goal by Jonny Evans to bring up a 3-0 scoreline that flattered the hosts somewhat.

But United raised their game and, spearheaded by Wayne Rooney – who netted two penalties – they drew level thanks to a late Javier Hernandez header.

David De Gea made an incredible late save to deny Mata’s wonderful free-kick, with the Spaniard tipping over a Gary Cahill effort at the death as the spoils were shared in West London.

The result means United are two points behind leaders Manchester City, while fourth-placed Chelsea edge a point ahead of Newcastle United, who beat Aston Villa earlier on Sunday.

Chelsea will be wondering how they failed to win the game given their position before United’s first penalty went in on 58 minutes.

Questions will again be asked of Andre Villas-Boas’s tactical acuity: Daniel Sturridge had been a livewire all match, forcing Evans’s own-goal and leading the line with confidence, while Torres – for all his hard work – looked lost once more, picking up a fourth booking since last February that means he has seen yellow more often than the back of the net for the Blues, although he did get a fine assist.

But when United pulled it back to 3-2 following a contentious penalty given when Danny Welbeck bought contact from Branislav Ivanovic, the Portuguese coach removed Sturridge and not Torres for Oriol Romeu.

Romeu has good positional sense, but he had a limited impact - possibly startled by the intensity of the occasion - while it is common knowledge that retreating into a defensive shell plays to Manchester United's strengths of relentless attack from all angles.

John Terry was missing for Chelsea with fellow defender Ashley Cole also absent; United, meanwhile, welcomed back Rooney and Ashley Young from injury, although Nani failed to make the squad.

A tense first half saw United make most of the running, while Chelsea got the lucky breaks – including one that Reds fans will insist cancels out their questionable penalty.

Referee Howard Webb failed to penalise a clear foul from Cahill, which started outside the area but left Welbeck in a heap when he was through on goal. Had it been given, Chelsea would most likely have gone down to 10 men at an early stage.

The Blues’ second slice of fortune resulted in them taking the lead: Sturridge did well to beat a sluggish Patrice Evra to the by-line, but his low cross flew past De Gea and in off the chest of a helpless Evans.

Chelsea went close to an immediate second when Sturridge forced a smart stop from De Gea, so United cranked up the pressure, creating chances through Young, Welbeck and Rooney – Petr Cech making fine saves to deny all three.

The second half seemed to be set for a United comeback but, practically from the restart, Chelsea doubled their lead with a wonderful goal.

Torres was in acres of space down the right with Evra again missing. The goal-shy striker floated over a delightful cross that landed to his diminutive Spain team-mate Mata: in a flash, and with marvellous technique, the former Valencia playmaker hammered an incredible volley that flew past De Gea into the roof of the net.

It was some goal and within three minutes it was 3-0, although a combination of poor defending and yet more luck saw Luiz meet Mata’s free-kick with a header, allowed to do so by poor marking and helped past De Gea by the shoulder of Rio Ferdinand.

Sir Alex Ferguson responded by introducing Hernandez, but the Mexican super-sub was not involved as Evra went some way to compensating for his defensive frailties by bounding into the box to draw a clumsy challenge from Sturridge.

It was a penalty and Rooney responded with a clean finish into the roof of the net, bringing it back to 3-1.

While that decision was clear, United’s second spot-kick was dubious to say the least: in an almost-identical incident to that which saw Manchester City’s Adam Johnson win a penalty off Fulham’s Chris Baird on Saturday, Welbeck hung a leg out to draw contact off Serb defender Ivanovic.

It was gamesmanship by Welbeck and Webb – perhaps with his earlier mistake in mind – pointed to the spot, Ivanovic’s righteous disbelief mimicking that of Baird’s at Eastlands. Rooney was not put off though, coolly slotting the penalty one way and sending Cech the other, and it was game on.

The England striker was at the heart of everything, taking the game to Chelsea and ably supported by marauding wide-man Antonio Valencia, who had been put to right-back following Paul Scholes’s entrance but was playing more like Cafu than Gary Neville.

As United piled forward, Chelsea were still creating chances – De Gea making a decent stop from Michael Essien’s long-range hammer, and Torres delaying his shot enough for Valencia to block after the misfiring Spaniard played himself past Evans with a clever header.

But the script insisted United should complete the miraculous comeback, and they did so in some style as – after another bounding run and cross from Valencia – Rooney drew a fine stop from Cech: Ryan Giggs picked it up wide left and, as he has done for what seems like an eternity, the old man of the Premier League curled a wonderful cross that Hernandez was destined to meet with a headed goal.

There was still time for some late drama as De Gea went some way to compensating for errors in previous matches with a miracle stop from Mata’s curling free-kick, showing incredibly agility and speed to pluck the ball from the top right.

The former Atletico Madrid man was called into action again when, in the fourth minute of injury time, a trademark Cahill piledriver was tipped over for a corner.

United were not to be undone, holding out for the draw, and – while they remain behind City – they are still very much in the hunt for the title.

Chelsea, meanwhile, continue to look over their shoulders at Newcastle and Arsenal as the threat of finishing outside the top four looms.