Manchester United strikers will always be judged on their goalscoring record – so it was no surprise to see Anthony Martial maligned on social media for missing two golden chances against Leeds.
But while he couldn’t find the back of the net, the Frenchman’s impact was profound and he reiterated his capability of leading the line for the Reds under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Martial set the tone from the first whistle, dropping deep and causing problems for Marcelo Bielsa’s side.
His reverse pass to Scott McTominay to make it 2-0 inside three minutes was sumptuous, and he flicked on for Victor Lindelof’s fourth as United compounded their oldest enemy’s misery.
Martial was also felled in the box for Bruno Fernandes’ sixth from the penalty spot, and played a key role in the totemic playmaker’s first before the break.
Solskjaer’s number one frontman may only have three goals in all competitions this season, but has once again highlighted his effectiveness elsewhere with three goal involvements.
As per Statman Dave, Martial made six passes into the box, created four chances and had seven successful take-ons. He provided the perfect platform for United to thrive in what at times resembled a basketball game at Old Trafford.
Uncharacteristic profligate finishing shouldn’t cloud views on what was the 25-year-old’s best all-round showing of the season.
Anthony Martial’s game by numbers vs. Leeds United:
81% pass accuracy
9 attempted take-ons
7 successful take-ons
6 passes into the box
4 shots inside this box
4 chances created
3 ball recoveries
2 assistsExcellent all-round performance. 🇫🇷 pic.twitter.com/qe04XIyVWr
— Statman Dave (@StatmanDave) December 20, 2020
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