A Robin van Persie brace gave David Moyes his first piece of silverware as Manchester United manager in a 2-0 victory over Wigan Athletic in The FA Community Shield.
The Dutchman’s first came in the sixth minute when he powered Patrice’s Evra’s cross beyond Scott Carson.
And he wrapped up the win just before the hour mark, though his shot was deflected by James Perch on its way in to the net.
FA Cup winners Wigan got their Championship season off to a flying start with a comfortable 4-0 win at Barnsley last Saturday, but they never really got going here at Wembley as the Premier League champions were on top throughout and eventually eased to an incredible 16th Community Shield crown.
Van Persie’s 26 goals played a large part in United wrestling the Premier League crown from neighbours Manchester City last season and it took the 30-year-old six minutes to open his account for the new campaign.
Evra found himself in space down the left and he had ample time to deliver a deep cross which Van Persie headed home from just inside the box to give Moyes the perfect start to his Old Trafford reign.
The Reds’ new boss was forced to shuffle his pack just after the quarter-hour mark as Rafael hobbled off. Chris Smalling replaced the Brazilian and Phil Jones moved out to right-back.
And it was down the right that United’s next chance was created as Wilfried Zaha, on his full debut, produced a low centre to the near post, but Leon Barnett got to the ball ahead of Danny Welbeck and turned it behind for a corner.
Wigan offered little going forward in the opening exchanges and when Grant Holt did prod James McClean’s cross wide, on 32 minutes, James McArthur has already been penalised for a push on Smalling.
But this opportunity lifted the Latics and had McClean been more composed just moments later he might have done better than simply flashing a left-foot shot harmlessly across goal from the by-line.
With half-time approaching, United came close to doubling their lead when Tom Cleverley found Welbeck inside the box. The England forward turned sharply but his effort was parried to safety by Carson.
However, there was little Carson could do when the second goal did arrive on 59 minutes. The Premier League champions played the ball neatly from left to right, through Evra, Cleverley and Welbeck until it reached Van Persie just inside the area.
The striker cut back inside onto his left foot and his shot was deflected beyond the wrong-footed keeper by Perch’s outstretched leg.
Substitute Antonio Valencia, on for Zaha, came close to adding a third following another tidy passing move but his effort went behind for a corner.
A raft of second-half changes disrupted the game’s flow and there was a distinct lack of goal chances after Van Persie’s second.
But United held on comfortably to get their season off to a winning start.
Manchester United
1 David De Gea, 2 Rafael (12 Chris Smalling, 16), 3 Patrice Evra, 4 Phil Jones, 11 Ryan Giggs (8 Anderson, 67), 15 Nemanja Vidic (C), 16 Michael Carrick, 19 Danny Welbeck (26 Shinji Kagawa, 83), 20 Robin van Persie (44 Adnan Januzaj 83), 23 Tom Cleverley, 29 Wilfried Zaha (25 Antonio Valencia, 61)
Substitutes not used 13 Anders Lindegaard, 6 Jonny Evans
Manager David Moyes
Wigan Athletic
1 Scott Carson, 3 Stephen Crainey, 4 James McCarthy (29 Nouha Dicko, 86), 8 Ben Watson (18 Roger Espinoza, 71), 9 Grant Holt (32 Marc-Antoine Fortuné, 60), 10 Shaun Maloney (14 Jordi Gomez, 71), 11 James McClean (15 Callum McManaman, 60), 16 James McArthur (7 Chris McCann, 60), 17 Emmerson Boyce (C), 24 James Perch, 25 Leon Barnett
Substitutes not used 13 Lee Nicholls
Manager Owen Coyle
Referee Mark Clattenburg
Attendance 80,235
