Anthony Martial returned to action for Manchester United against City after missing the match against Crystal Palace through injury.
In for the injured Edinson Cavani, Martial immediately made fans forget about the Uruguayan’s absence.
Martial won a penalty after just 40 second after being surrounded by City players as he dribbled into the box and was eventually brought down.
This was more like it from Martial. He was determined to make something happen from the first whistle and put in the work rate Ole Gunnar Solskjaer would have wanted.
The only thing missing from Martial’s performance was a goal. He had a golden chance to add United’s third in the second half, only to shoot straight at Ederson.
Martial is normally so cool in front of goal but his finishing has deserted him this season. He remains stuck on seven goals, with just three in his last 17 games.
Despite those statistics looking far from impressive, the performance Martial put in against City suggested his form could be about to turn a corner, and it will give him confidence too.
Martial’s performance was graded as a 7.36 by WhoScored.com. His last four starts have all been rated below seven.
In this match he helped United’s attack gel, completed 95 per cent of his passes, and had more shots at goal (3) than any United player.
Martial also created one chance, while defensively he chipped in with an interception.
Reaction
After coming in for some well deserved criticism in recent weeks, this was more like it. Martial’s performance drew applause and appreciation from supporters who just want him to get back to his best.
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