IT’S MARTIAL LAW 2 1
Ace Anthony shows his real worth to Jose
ANTHONY Martial destroyed Everton – and Manchester United’s chances of keeping him on the cheap.
Martial created one and scored another to hand United a much-needed win and remind Old Trafford bosses what he is worth to the club.
The France star is playing hardball with United in the final 12 months of his current deal after rejecting a new contract and insisting on bigger wages.
Jose Mourinho has endured a rocky relationship with Martial since taking charge and has been willing to sell him to the highest bidder on several occasions.
But United chiefs live in fear that Martial, who is still only 22, would go on to fulfil his massive potential elsewhere and have overruled Mourinho.
On this evidence, the stance is going to cost United supremo Ed Woodward, who should give Martial what he wants because the flying winger was a revelation from start to finish to make sure his side coped just fine without Romelu Lukaku.
Tough times call for tough calls and Mourinho took the shock decision to axe Lukaku following his run of eight games without a goal.
Lukaku’s dreadful form was one of the main reasons United had conceded more goals than they’d scored after nine league games, for the first time in 28 years.
In came £52m summer signing Fred, with Marcus Rashford and Martial given the chance to lead the United attack.
The Toffees named an unchanged side and came to Old Trafford high on confidence following three league wins.
Marco Silva appears to be getting a handle on the challenge of managing the Toffees but this promised to be a stern test of his progress in the role – and so it proved.
It was the visitors who started better with Gylfi Sigurdsson’s cross just evading Bernard. Then Sigurdsson’s corner found the unmarked Andre Gomes – but all he could do was head straight at David De Gea.
But United started to get into their stride, with Paul Pogba dominating the ball in midfield and Martial causing havoc out on the left flank.
Martial tried his luck from long range to force Jordan Pickford into a smart save and it came as no surprise when Martial earned United their penalty on 26 minutes. His weaving run saw Idrissa Gueye stick out a leg in a desperate attempt to stop his rival and Martial tumbled theatrically to get the decision he wanted.
Pogba took 27 steps to reach the ball with a bizarre run-up that left Pickford with enough time to make a cup of tea, let alone decide which side to go.
Omens
The England keeper produced a superb save but looked on in despair as Pogba sidefooted home the rebound to spare his own blushes.
United hadn’t lost a home league game in which they’d led at half-time since 1984 so the omens looked bleak for the visitors.
But the Toffees could have equalised even before the break with Sigurdsson’s flying header going too close to De Gea before Theo Walcott tested the Spaniard with a powerful drive.
Yet any hopes of a famous fightback appeared to be left in tatters on 49 minutes when Martial curled in a superb strike to extend United’s lead.
Bernard could have struck back within minutes but somehow missed an open goal after beating the offside trap and rounding De Gea.
But when Chris Smalling tripped Richarlison to concede a penalty 13 minutes from time, Sigurdsson made no mistake to offer the Toffees a lifeline.
It set up a nervous finish for United but Mourinho’s men hung on to leapfrog the Toffees in the table with a much-needed win.