Martial showed just why the Premier League big-spenders rate him so
highly with two perfectly taken goals, while De Gea made another huge
contribution at the other end
Had Manchester United’s transfer window ended even slightly differently, days like Sunday would not have been possible.
On September 1 they held on by their fingernails as David de Gea, who
had previously looked destined for Real Madrid, stayed on their books
by luck more than judgement. Less than 24 hours later they added Anthony
Martial to their ranks as their final bit of business. Already they are
reaping significant rewards for their deadline day dealings.
Their 3-2 victory over Southampton at St Mary’s was the perfect
showcase for the two stars, with Martial’s double turning a convincing
deficit into a 2-1 lead and De Gea doing everything humanly possible to
keep the home side from getting back on level terms thereafter.
“What a waste of money” came the sarcastic chants from the away end
as the £36 million teenager pounced on Maya Yoshida’s horror back-pass
to slide United in front. He’d earlier turned Virgil van Dijk inside out
to bring parity to a scoreline that on another day might have weighed
heavily in Saints’ favour.
But whereas Graziano Pelle hit the post moments after his opening
goal, and Dusan Tadic and James Ward-Prowse both failed to work De Gea,
Martial was supremely clinical. His first three shots on target in the
Premier League have yielded three goals.
“When you are 19 years old you cannot expect consistency, normally
you have dips, so I also expect that from him,” reiterated his manager
Louis van Gaal after the game.
“But in three matches he has shown his talent is a high level and he
has shown he can play in our system. He has shown he wants to do that
and he can do that.”
“[What’s the best thing about him?] That he scores goals of course!”
But they still needed to keep them out at the other end too.
Enter De Gea. First he made an astonishing one-handed save at his
near post from Jose Fonte’s header which had seemingly already passed
him. Then after Juan Mata and Pelle had exchanged goals he was at it
again, stretching full length to keep out Victor Wanyama's 20-yard
strike late on which would have earned the home side a point many will
suggest they deserved.
United have hit the target only six times in their last two Premier
League fixtures but have netted from all six. It is quite the economy
rate, but one wonders how much longer they can keep up such a rate.
You also have to wonder how long De Gea can keep delivering such
heroics. Once more, United often looked shabby defensively, and once
more their goalkeeper dug them out of a hole. It was something we saw
constantly last season, and it looked like another solution would have
to be found as the 24-year-old sat waiting in Spain with his fingers
crossed on deadline day.
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But, to the chagrin of the rest of the Premier League, he has come
back for more and signed a four-year contract to boot. He said when
putting pen to paper that Old Trafford was the perfect place for him to
develop, and it is fair to suggest he will get more than enough
opportunities to show his qualities behind a United side this lacking in
structure. The weak underbelly remains, but De Gea does a great job of
hiding it.
Football is such that not everyone has to play superbly for a team to
earn a victory. Normally, a side looks for seven or eight players to
turn in a good performance in order for them to gain the maximum points.
United are getting by on two right now.
De Gea's quality is shining through at one end, while Martial’s clinical edge is paying instant dividends at the other.
Louis van Gaal has plenty still to do, but the form of two star men
is ensuring that work can continue from a position of strength.
Martial & De Gea prove their value to soft-centred Manchester United
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Oleh
healthandwealth
