There was a moment 10 minutes from the end of this raucous entertaining match when Wim Jonk, the Dutch international midfielder, dispossessed Roy Keane on the edge of the Manchester United area, ran on unchecked and forced Peter Schmeichel into his third fingertip save of the second half.
The incident crystallised the reason why Wednesday won and United lost this game. Eight minutes earlier, Niclas Alexandersson had scored his second goal, and Wednesday's third, and two minutes after Jonk's effort Keane was replaced by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, the United captain throwing away the armband dismissively when informed of his substitution.
Jonk's influence had exceeded Keane's since the Dutchman's 55th minute goal - his first since his £2.5 million summer arrival - and his increasing contribution served as both a lesson and a warning to United.
And yet for the first 45 minutes, while not excelling, United were comfortably dominant. Andy Cole - one chance, one goal Mr Hoddle - equalised on the half hour, drilling the ball past his former Newcastle team-mate Pavel Srnicek.
Shortly after, when Denis Irwin was emphatically upended by Alexandersson, no one in Wednesday's first full house of the season doubted it was a penalty except the referee David Elleray. Danny Wilson called it "a legitimate penalty".
Petter Rudi and Alexandersson won the flank battle with Jesper Blomqvist and David Beckham, and both the Norwegian and the Swede were involved in the patient creation of Jonk's goal. Schmeichel saved bravely at the feet of Andy Booth but the ball fell nicely for Jonk to stroke in.
Sheffield Wednesday: Srnicek, Atherton, Jonk, Walker, Carbone, Booth, Hinchcliffe, Thome, Rudi, Alexandersson, Sonner. Subs Not Used: Clarke, Sanetti, Humphreys, Stefanovic, Magilton. Booked: Jonk. Goals: Alexandersson 14, Jonk 55, Alexandersson 73.
Manchester United: Schmeichel, G. Neville, Irwin (Brown 66), Stam, Beckham, Cole, P. Neville, Blomqvist (Butt 58), Keane (Solskjaer 83), Scholes, Yorke. Subs Not Used: Van Der Gouw, Berg. Booked: Scholes. Goals: Cole 29.
Referee: D Elleray (Harrow-on-the-Hill).
