Dimitar Berbatov was the star of the show with a hat-trick in the Boxing Day fixture at Old Trafford on 2011, completing his treble from the penalty spot.

Ji-sung Park had opened the scoring, inside eight minutes, and Antonio Valencia drilled in a beauty against his former club.

Patrice Evra set up the first goal, for his great pal Park, with a mazy dribble and Wigan had no answer to the rampant Reds. After Conor Sammon was sent off, Berbatov then displayed great strength inside the box to eventually convert a cross by Darron Gibson.

The Bulgarian toe-poked in number three with four minutes still left to play in the first half.

Due to injuries at the back, Michael Carrick played in defence but still managed to notch an assist as United kept a clean sheet and added two more goals against the 10 men after the interval.

Valencia accepted Carrick's pass and smashed an unstoppable angled drive past keeper Ali Al Habsi. It was left to Berbatov to complete the rout, from the spot, after Antolin Alcaraz fouled Park.

The victory, a 14th in succession for the Reds against Wigan, took Sir Alex Ferguson's side level with Manchester City at the top of the table as the Blues were held to a goalless draw by West Brom.

This was Berbatov's fourth hat-trick for the club and he would score twice more before 2011 was out, even if the brace against Blackburn Rovers on New Year's Eve could not prevent a surprise 3-2 home defeat.