Could Hojlund’s arrival be a wake-up call for Martial? The game against Bayern suggested something

It’s been darkening over Anthony Martial at Manchester United for a year now, and this summer it looked like the end was in sight, and therefore his departure from the club. However, no one has shown any interest in the Frenchman, and so he must continue to battle with Erik ten Haag for his position on the pitch.

In 2015, he transferred for 60 million from Monaco to Manchester United of all places, and there was even supposed to be a clause in his contract to pay bonuses if the player wins the Ballon d’Or. At the time, Martial was 20 years old and paid as a very promising left winger. He entered his new engagement with a goal in the Liverpool net in the first game and two goals in the next game.

After van Gaal’s departure, José Mourinho took over the team, and he didn’t completely bet on the Frenchman. It should be noted that under Mourinho and van Gaal, Martial never went above 15 goals scored in a season.

The turning point came only after Mourinho was sacked, when Ole Gunnar Solskjær took the reins, at first only until the end of the 2018/19 season and then he signed a contract until 2024. The 2019/20 season, which was influenced by Covid-19, is the best of Martial’s career.

The Frenchman excelled in his partnership with Marcus Rashford, joined successively by Mason Greenwood as a teenager and, after his transfer, by Portugal’s Bruno Fernandes. Manchester even made it to the semi-finals of the Europa League, where they were knocked out by Sevilla. Anyway, speaking of numbers, Martial finished the season with a record of 23 goals and 12 assists.

Although it seemed that the French striker would hit the battle for the crown of the king of scorers of the entire Premier League, there came another turning point in his career. Martial began to be injured frequently, starting with the 2020/21 season in which he played only 22 games in the Premier League. He then added 14 more in various cups, scoring just 7 times.

However, it wasn’t just his frequent injuries that gave United fans a problem, it was his often annoyed expression and lazy play. The Frenchman looked completely lacklustre, he didn’t want to run, rather he walked away from games. He scored just 2 goals in the 2021/22 season. Then Solskjær was released and it was all over.

He couldn’t make it at all under ten Haag, he was even on loan at Sevilla for part of last season. He’s been getting quite a few opportunities at the start of this season, but he still hasn’t managed to score, and his workload is more likely to drop after the arrival of Hojlund.

Nobody knows how he will accept the role of a substitute striker. However, the match against Bayern suggested that the arrival of Hojlund could rather help Martial. The Frenchman came on for the last few minutes and looked like a sprinkling of living water, standing out technically, swirling with energy and movement. If he can keep it up he can put a lot of pressure on the Danish cannonballer.

Perhaps the increased competition he never had in Manchester will even help him to perform better. Remember how Luke Shaw went up with his performance when the management brought in Alex Telles, let’s see how it all plays out.

Source: Manchester United, Premier League