Ole: That’s the Martial of old!
OLE Gunnar Solskjaer believes Anthony Martial ‘rediscovered himself’ in the derby victory over City – and also lauded keeper Dean Henderson.
United were convincing 2-0 winners over the Blues as the rejuvenated France forward and a solid defence provided the foundations for the victory.
Solskjaer had huge praise for Martial, who was an injury doubt beforehand and probably only played because Edinson Cavani was ruled out. The forward won the early penalty, and looked threatening throughout.
Martial has struggled for United this season, but gave City’s defence a torrid afternoon.
“I thought Anthony was absolutely superb today,” said the Reds boss.
“He was more the Anthony of old. He turns, gets hold of it. And to think he was a doubt this morning, until two hours after the warm-up I wasn’t sure if he was going to be playing or not.
“Today he rediscovered himself I feel.
“He was really strong on the ball, positive and that’s what it’s about.
“We have to be positive and play at a high-tempo, of course we do.”
Keeper Henderson, who is getting a run in the side as David de Gea is away on paternity leave, released the ball to Luke Shaw to help start the build-up to the second goal.
“He’s just growing, getting more mature, so very, very happy with him,” said Solskjaer of the keeper.
“His presence out there, you know there’s a future top, top keeper out there.”
Solskjaer also admitted the early goal was a curse as well as a blessing, as he revealed his half-time instructions that prompted an even better second-half display from United at the Etihad Stadium.
“Of course when you come away with a 2-0 win, another clean sheet and a performance like this, we’re delighted of course,” he added.
“We knew it was a challenge. The first goal dictates a lot of what’s happening out there, we could play a little more on the result.
“I didn’t like us coming into half-time, we played too much on the result because we were winning. Second half we got on the ball more and what a second goal, fantastic.
“Every game is different. We came back a little to what we want to be: more direct, straightforward, attacking players being positive, getting at them.”
THE Inspiral Carpets reverberated around the Etihad prior to kick-off and it has felt superior to be City in Manchester. Not today.
Having wrecked the Blues’ title celebrations here in 2018, United ended their 21-game winning run. Any signs of inferiority were masked for a day.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will not preside over a title challenge this season, but was not shy in challenging Pep Guardiola in his own technical area.
City unsportingly refused to play the ball back with Marcus Rashford unable to continue and the Reds boss twice bypassed the fourth official, Mike Dean, to step into Guardiola’s zone.
Solskjaer had the first and final word, ending the debate with a diplomatic fistbump and United need that zeal if they are to lay a glove on City across 38 games next season, rather than 90 minutes. The Norwegian has four wins in eight games against Guardiola.
How apt Luke Shaw netted the crucial second goal, for United’s victory was underpinned by their defence.
It has been their stronger suit in recent weeks and Victor Lindelof and Harry Maguire reserved their best performances of the season for the home of the champions-elect.
United have a new No.1 in Dean Henderson and Raheem Sterling has never looked more unlikely of scoring against United up against the impregnable Aaron Wan-Bissaka.
Lindelof has a habit of producing his outstanding performances against the elite and this was another entrant for that pantheon. Maguire has rarely played better for United and City’s lack of a quality No.9 was patent up against the United captain.
The Blues resorted to sticking John Stones up front in the final 10 minutes with Sergio Aguero on the bench.
The best back four in the Premier League was present, only the left-back belonged to United.
Joao Cancelo, touted as a possible player of the year, was deceived by Shaw’s snake hips on the halfway line and he ran relentlessly, exchanging passes with Marcus Rashford and cutely steering the ball past a motionless Ederson. The United coaches leapt in the air. Those seats, usually occupied by Blues fans, were clattered by Reds. The voluble City staff and substitutes to their left quietened.
Bruno Fernandes may keep the Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year statue on his mantelpiece, but Shaw has been United’s more consistent performer. Even after Riyad Mahrez put him on his backside, he rallied to leave the cultured Cancelo for dead.
It was like watching Peter Schmeichel and Denis Irwin in their pomp. Henderson did not claim the assist but his purposeful throw to Shaw on the halfway line accelerated United’s attack and the left-back, buccaneering all season, tallied his first league goal since August 2018 with a precision reminiscent of his manager.
“Good throw, Dean Henderson,” Edwin van der Sar tweeted, although his time-wasting irked the City staff. Henderson has performed in his previous auditions and it now seems unthinkable he will drop back to the bench whenever David de Gea returns.
Henderson, Rashford and
Scott
McTominay, all part of the same academy year in 2014, started and four more graduates were on the United bench. Phil Foden was City’s only academy representative and started on the bench again.
The Reds will always reign over the Blues when it comes to a homegrown quota.
The only time City players stood off United’s was when the away coaches arrived, forcing the home players to delay their entrance, and the atmosphere during their warm-up was buoyant. Perhaps even complacent.
Anthony Martial was the penultimate Reds player to emerge for the Premier League anthem and was still overtaken by Shaw.
That lethargy was misleading, for his impact was immediate and the No.9 was clumsily fouled by his opposite number, Gabriel Jesus, after 35 seconds.
The City physio Mark Sertori shouted ‘Go on Eddy’ in a hoarse Mancunian accent, sounding like a fan in the Kippax, as Fernandes approached the ball. Ederson gloved it into the net, coming close enough to convince Kyle Walker to celebrate in the stands.
That spared United the embarrassment of going four games without scoring and gave the Portuguese, brusque in his prematch interview amid criticism of his record against the league’s eminent clubs, an early fillip with his first goal against a ‘big six’ side since the 6-1 trouncing by Tottenham in October.
It marked his 18th penalty goal for United – as many as Eric Cantona during his four-and-a-half years.
Martial’s selection could have easily lulled City into a false sense of security, what with two goals in his last 15 games – both coming in the 9-0 demolition of Southampton more than a month ago.
The Frenchman meekly placed a oneon-one straight at Ederson at 2-0 but can feel satisfied with a morale-raising display.
United were fortunate their frontfooted start drew the incongruous Jesus inside his own area for their use of the ball on breakaways was wasteful and Rashford ran down alleys marked ‘blind.’
Solskjaer patently addressed that at the interval, for United were more incisive. Rashford still had the gumption to run back into his own third and halt City’s own breakaway.
Maguire wellied the ball and then Jesus with a tone-setting tackle, his overzealousness eliciting a yellow card that did not satisfy the incandescent Fernandinho, demanding harsher punishment from the stands.
United were so dissatisfied with the Wythenshawe-born Anthony Taylor’s officiating that Solskjaer, Maguire and Scott McTominay vented at fourth official Mike Dean following the half-time shrill.
Solskjaer craftily waited for Taylor to enter the tunnel before he followed him down, doubtless with some choice words.
He was not the only one Solskjaer confronted.