Lisandro Martinez was the star of the show as Manchester United beat Fulham 1-0 in the Premier League.
The Red Devils were far from their best at Craven Cottage and after a drab first half it seemed the points would be shared. However, the deadlock was eventually broken after the break by Lisandro Martinez’s deflected effort.
The 27-year-old put on a fiery display in the capital, reigniting his rivalry with Fulham’s Adama Traore after they clashed in the Premier League opener back in August.
Martinez has been in superb form under Ruben Amorim, and he proved once again that he can be impactful at both ends of the pitch. After finding a superb pass for Bruno Fernandes’ winner against Rangers midweek, he added a goal of his own against the Cottagers.
Martinez is also becoming a senior figure and a leader in this United squad. He proved why after picking up his Man of the Match award. Martinez immediately praised Toby Collyer after his impressive substitute cameo rather than soak up the attention himself.
Lisandro Martinez sends 17-word message after Fulham win
After starring in London, Martinez took to social media to send a message to supporters.
Via Instagram, Martinez wrote: “Always until the very end! Great win and brilliant effort from everyone! Let’s keep going all together”
Martinez’s teammates flooded the comment section with praise, with Mason Mount, Joshua Zirkzee and Leny Yoro all typing a reply.
Zirkzee wrote “Mi Hermano” translated to “My brother” in Spanish. After the full-time whistle, the Dutch forward was spotted pushing Martinez towards the travelling away fans so he got the praise he deserved.
Mount simply replied with a butcher’s axe emoji, referring to Martinez’s “The Butcher” nickname.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe nearly made terrible Lisandro Martinez mistake
Martinez has proven in recent weeks that he is a great fit for Amorim’s 3-4-3 system.
The United boss called for more aggression and fight from his players – Martinez certainly delivered that against Fulham.
But at the start of December, Martinez was linked with a move to Real Madrid with Sir Jim Ratcliffe and club chiefs not considering the World Cup winner “unsellable”.
While there are still four days remaining in the January window, an exit seems extremely unlikely and Ratcliffe will be glad that he avoided selling Martinez in what would have been a huge mistake.
Martinez has become a fan favourite at United as a result of his passionate and fiery performances and it did not take him long to earn Amorim’s trust too.
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