Manchester United must make sure Michael Carrick’s second-best player stays at Old Trafford this summer after a 2-0 Premier League win over Tottenham.
Manchester United continued their perfect run with a fourth straight win, beating Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 in the Premier League through strikes from Bryan Mbeumo and Bruno Fernandes.
Tottenham started on the front foot and looked the livelier side in the opening stages, with the rain making conditions awkward for everyone. The key moment came just before the 30-minute mark when Spurs captain Cristian Romero was sent off for a heavy challenge on Casemiro, swinging control of the game in United’s favour.
United made their extra man count when Mbeumo tucked away the finish from a well-worked corner routine. Casemiro and Amad both threatened to extend the lead before the interval, but it stayed 1-0 at the break.
In the second half, Amad and Matheus Cunha thought they had scored, only for both efforts to be ruled out for offside. As the clock ticked into the final 15 minutes and substitutions were made, United finally grabbed the second goal their dominance deserved.
Fernandes met Diogo Dalot’s cross with a composed finish, wrapping up the victory and another three points for Michael Carrick’s team.
Martínez was phenomenal against Spurs
Lisandro Martínez returned to the starting XI late last year and has since started all eight of the club’s Premier League fixtures, in which they’ve won five and drawn three. He has been sensational since his return, and his game against Tottenham was his best yet.
Playing against a strong striker in Dominic Solanke, it could have been a testing day for the 27-year-old, but he handled it brilliantly, winning four duels, making two interceptions, four clearances, and seven recoveries.
But what was even more impressive was his ability to influence the attack and sustain pressure, completing 103 of his 109 attempted passes with a phenominal 94% accuracy.
He also had 120 touches, completed his only attempted dribble, with 21 of his passes heading into the final third. While Fernandes is undoubtedly the best player Carrick has, Martínez has put a good case forward for being his second.
Martínez must stay this summer if he stays fit
Martínez’s talent has never really been in question, but the big problem has always been availability. While the Argentina international has been quality for most of his minutes on the pitch, he has had three long-term injuries that have forced him to miss far too many games.
Read More: Unseen Michael Carrick moment is what won Man Utd the game vs Tottenham – “Got their reward”
There has been talk about the player’s future: his current contract expires at the end of next season, and whether it’s worth selling him in the summer rather than letting his value decrease if he doesn’t get a new deal.
But, with United now much better at managing their players’ loads and settled in their star players, he must now be considered as a centre-back that has to be kept.
Martínez is a leader and a brilliant player, and he still has so much of his career left to play. Even if he cannot start 50 games a season, he’s an essential part of the dressing room, and he must be kept on.
Make sure to follow UtdDistrict on X, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and TikTok to never miss out on any of our Manchester United content. Our podcast, What the Devil?, is streamed live every Thursday at 14:00 pm (BST) on the United View YouTube channel.