Anthony Martial: a Premier League enigma

Anthony Martial, signed from Monaco for £50 million five years ago, has been in and out of the Manchester United team ever since his arrival.

The French striker, turned winger, turned striker again, has blown hot and cold for United throughout his stay at Old Trafford, so much so that the most consistent thing about him is his inconsistency.

That may be a harsh assessment of the Frenchman’s time in Manchester, but for a man signed for his potential and contribution in front of goal, it’s hard to see Martial as a true success story.

He made a brilliant debut at Old Trafford, scoring against Liverpool – the stuff of dreams for any United player – and played well in his first season, but has failed to live up to that potential ever since.

He struggled under Van Gaal and Mourinho, with a few off-field issues affecting his performances on the pitch, but looked back to his best at the beginning of Solksjaer’s reign – a period that saw an upsurge in the form of many United players.

He scored fairly prolifically in the 2019/20 season, bagging 23 goals in 48 games, but his form has once again dropped drastically this time around.

Martial’s strengths are clear for all to see – he is calm and collected on the ball, he’s got pace to burn, and he is an excellent finisher. All of these attributes help to cover the shortcomings in his game, but when he isn’t scoring, the weaknesses he has are brought to light.

A quality shared by most of the top centre-forwards not only in the Premier League, but across Europe, is their movement. 

This doesn’t necessarily just mean they’re fast. They know how to work the defenders, they are constantly aware of where the gaps in the defence are, and where and how they need to move in order to cause the most problems for the opposition.

The physicality of the Premier League has perhaps exposed Martial’s deficiencies. If he comes up against defenders that put themselves about and bully him off the ball, he struggles to impose himself on the match.

As well as this, it seems that recently Martial’s start to a game dictates his overall performance. If he makes a few positive moves at the beginning of a game, he will usually continue to perform for the rest of the 90 minutes.

However, if he fails to make a good start, he often provides very little for the remainder of the clash. 

His recent performances in the derby – where he started well and was excellent for the whole game – and against Leicester in the FA Cup – where he started poorly and was anonymous afterwards – really highlighted this.

He is the embodiment of a confidence player – he can be absolutely untouchable on a day where he’s feeling like it, but if he isn’t, United may as well be playing a man down.

Cavani’s arrival at Old Trafford has shown what Manchester United have been missing in a true number nine. With the Uruguayan, Rashford, Greenwood, and Martial all being options for that central striker spot, it won’t be long, if it isn’t already the case, until Martial falls towards the bottom of that particular pile.

Martial is a fantastic player on his day. His talent is undeniable, and he certainly has the ability to be a success at the top level – which is perhaps what makes him so frustrating to watch.

However, his time at Manchester United seems to be barrelling towards an unfortunate, anti-climactic conclusion, regardless of the several magical moments he has provided United fans with over the years.

There is still hope for the Frenchman – he need only look at recently departed teammates, Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez, to know that there is light at the end of the tunnel. However, it seems Martial will have to find that light away from Old Trafford, and likely away from the Premier League.