Anthony Martial has been United’s standout player this season. With eight goals from fourteen Premier League appearances, the French hero is currently on a roll.
Recently in United’s emphatic victory over Cardiff, he scored the third goal which enabled the side to close off the game early. Martial picked started off the move in midfield combining brilliantly with Jesse Lingard and Paul Pogba to fire a deadly low shot past Neil Etheridge, the Cardiff keeper.
Even Wayne Rooney was impressed by Martial’s goal, which he termed as a contender for the goal of the season. Speaking to BT Sport, he said,
“He has been on fine form, he’s always a threat on the ball and this goal is probably a contender for the goal of the season. You see Ashley Young’s position again, Lingard runs inside of him, It’s awkward for Cardiff to defend but it’s a fantastic goal.”
Back in 2017, Martial was among the few United stars who faced the full wrath of José Mourinho.
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Mourinho’s excuse for not playing the Frenchman was the player’s inconsistency on the left and his unwillingness to offer a defensive cover to the fullbacks.
Alexis Sanchez‘s arrival further limited the Frenchman’s chances at United, and many people speculated him leaving United. But this season, to the astonishment of the fans, Martial didn’t leave and chose to fight for his future at the club.
The decision proved rewarding for both the player and the club as Martial’s goals this season played a key part in keeping the club within touching distance of the top four, even when Mourinho’s over-cautious approach was at work.
But fans can certainly expect more from Martial after Mourinho’s departure. With former United legend Solskjær , a fan of Alex Ferguson’s at the helm, United’s attack look to be a different proposition. Speaking to MUTV, Solskjaer said
Even though it is too early to predict how far this United side will go under Solskjær’s reign, it is certain that Martial will have a huge say in it. In fact, stats showed Martial, not only as an attacker who was capable of scoring goals but also his ability to create goal scoring opportunities for his team.
Anthony Martial's game by numbers vs. Cardiff:
most touches in oppo. box (7)
most chances created (5)
joint most dribbles completed (2)
1 shot
1 goal? Tony Martial scores again ? pic.twitter.com/BVRj9TrlMp
— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) December 22, 2018
Further, statistics revealed that Martial had the best minutes per goals ratio in the whole league making him a nightmare for any defense. The prolific United striker has manged a goal every 111 minutes which is better than the league’s top scorer Pierre Emerick Aubameyang who averaged a goal every 116 minutes. All these stats seem to suggest that the Frenchman has the potential to become the best striker in Premier League.