Anthony Martial relives ‘great’ Everton FA Cup semi-final ahead of clash

Manchester United striker Anthony Martial has opened up about the importance of United’s home crowd at Old Trafford and the tricky encounter that awaits them in the third round of the FA Cup.

The Frenchman has seen a resurgence in his reputation at the club under Erik ten Hag, with the 27-year-old picking up a respectable three goals and two assists in eight Premier League appearances this season.

Tuesday night provided the opportunity for the striker to further these stats, as United put in an impressive performance to beat Bournemouth 3-0 in front of a home crowd, with goals coming from Casemiro, Luke Shaw and Marcus Rashford.

Martial was unfortunately withdrawn before the 70th-minute mark with what looked to be a knock following an attempt to get on the end of a Casemiro pass.

Erik ten Hag has since said to MUTV that he expects Martial to be fit for the match with Everton at Old Trafford, offering some reassurance for the United fans who have been impressed with the striker’s improvement in performances following a disappointing series of seasons.

Speaking ahead of Friday’s match, Martial said in an interview with Manchester United’s official matchday programme: “I do have a good stats record against Everton, and I’ll be doing everything I can to keep that going.”

The Frenchman went on to explain that Everton, despite their place in the league, will be no free pass for United. “Clearly, this is not going to be an easy match. It is up to us to do everything we can to turn the match in our favour.”

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United have faced Everton once already this season, with Antony and former player, Ronaldo, scoring the goals that saw the Reds emerge as 2-1 winners.

Martial highlighted the home advantage that United will have going into the FA Cup clash on Friday saying, “it’s always that bit better for us, playing at home, and with the 12th man of the supporters right behind us.”

This supposed home advantage is evident in United’s home record this season, with six wins at Old Trafford, compared to only a single draw and single loss.

Fans will be hoping that United can produce a result against Everton on Friday, having long been starved of silverware by their high standards.

Should the Reds progress, there’s a real possibility that they can reach the later rounds of the semi-finals and final, with the former providing Martial with what he labelled as, “one of the most memorable moments of my professional career”.

This was in reference to Manchester United’s 2016 FA Cup semi-final 2-1 win over Crystal Palace, in which Martial scored the late winner which propelled the team to the final and ultimately, to silverware.

Speaking on his goal and the subsequent celebration in the 2016 semi-final win over Everton, Martial recalled that it was not a planned celebration, but just one born out of pure emotion and context.

“It [the celebration] was not planned, no,” he described. “It was very much in the moment, as the goal came just before the end of the match, and I just wanted to share that moment with the fans, as they had been incredible throughout the match.”

Fans of the club will be hoping for similar scenes this coming Friday, with Manchester United seeking their first piece of silverware since their League Cup win in the 16/17 season. Manchester United host Everton at Old Trafford in the FA Cup third round at 8:00 GMT.