JOSE: MARTIAL IS NOW DOING WHAT I WANT
MARTIAL FLOORS EVERTON AND IS NOW ‘PLAYING WAY I WANT HIM TO’ SAYS MOURINHO
ANTHONY Martial stepping up in Romelu Lukaku’s absence in a win against Everton. Should we even be surprised?
The last time United played the Toffees, on New Year’s Day, it was Martial who led the line after Lukaku was ruled out through injury and the Frenchman popped up with a moment of genius to get Jose Mourinho’s 2018 off to the perfect start.
It was not a one-off. The circumstances may have been different yesterday – Lukaku was dropped for a Premier League game for the first time and Martial played on the left wing rather than up front – but it was the same result.
With Mata often drifting inside from the right, following a rare run at No.10 in the past two games, United relied on Martial to run riot down the left wing and repeatedly looked to isolate him one against one with a defender – it worked a treat.
Seamus Coleman was a regular victim, while Idrissa Gueye had to resort to fouling Martial to stop him, time and time again, and could have even seen red for it.
Martial looked in the mood early on, stinging Jordan Pickford’s gloves with a 20-yard thunderbolt on the edge of the area, before stepping up with the game’s first big moment a few minutes later.
It was another trademark run down the left and, however theatrical the tumble, Gueye again knocked Martial off balance to stop him.
Up stepped Paul Pogba to do the rest from the penalty spot. Well, eventually.
The 25-year-old’s staggered run-up always catches the eye – it even got him sent off in his youth team days – and time just seems to slow down as he shuffles and shuffles and shuffles... before finally striking the ball.
Pickford, England’s World Cup hero, was wise to it, standing tall until the very last moment, before pulling out a save from the top drawer.
Luckily for Pogba, the ball was parried straight into his path and he coolly slotted home the rebound.
Wheeling away, Pogba raised a finger to his lips to ‘shhhhh!’ those Everton fans behind the goal who had jeered him every step of the way. And laughed when he shanked United’s first effort of the game out for a throw-in earlier in the half.
Among those celebrating in the directors’ box were the Wild Boars football team – those brave boys who spent more
It was Martial leading the charge as he tracked back in the dying moments Ciaran Kelly
than two weeks trapped in a cave in Thailand in the summer – and they were about to be treated to a moment they will never forget under the lights.
Just three minutes after half-time, Martial and Pogba again combined and this time it was Pogba’s turn to repay the favour.
Picking up the ball in space on the edge of the area, he coolly found his teammate and Martial let rip with a curling drive into the bottom corner – 2-0.
The resulting roar was deafening as the Stretford End broke into a chorus of ‘Tony Martial scores again!’ The 22-year-old has now scored four goals in his past three league games and he is going to take some stopping in this kind of form. United ultimately had to hang on after Gylfi Sigurdsson made them sweat with a late penalty, but it was Martial leading the charge as he harried and tracked back in the dying moments. Much to Mourinho’s delight as he pushed him on from the touchline before the final whistle. No wonder Martial has a smile on his face again.