100% dribbles completed, 7 accurate long balls, 8 clearances: United star looked back to his best after a long gap

On their final home Premier League game of the season, Manchester United clinched an entertaining 3-2 victory over Nottingham Forest on Sunday. Goals from Luke Shaw, Matheus Cunha, and Bryan Mbeumo ensured the three points and assured the Red Devils of a third-place finish in the Premier League. It was a great day all around, with Casemiro receiving a warm farewell on his final Old Trafford appearance in red, while Bruno Fernandes accrued his record-equalling 20th league assist of the season. There were a couple of concerning performances from Mbeumo and Amad, but Michael Carrick will be delighted with the return to form of Lisandro Martinez. Lisandro Martinez was imperious at the back The Argentine, who has missed large chunks of the season due to injury, struggled with his discipline since his return. However, he was near flawless against Forest. The 28-year-old completed eight clearances, while blocking three efforts on goal. StatValue Goals0 Expected goals (xG)0.06 Assists0 Expected assists (xA)0.01 Def. contributions14 Tackles (won)2 (1) Interceptions1 Clearances8 Blocked shots3 Recoveries4 Ground duels (won)4 (3) Aerial duels (won)2 (1) Dribbled past1 Key passes1 Crosses (accurate)0 (0) Accurate passes43/45 (96%) Passes in opposition half (acc.)10/12 (83%) Passes in own half (acc.)33/33 (100%) Long balls (accurate)7/8 (88%) Touches66 Dribbles (successful)1 (1) Possession lost2 Total carrying distance112.3 m Carries18 Total progression31.5 m Total shots1 Shots on target0 Shots blocked1 match stats via sofascore The World Cup winner also intercepted one through ball and recovered the loose ball on four occasions. He also won four of his six duels in total. With the ball, the former Ajax ace was equally effective, completing 96% of his passes, including one key pass. Lisandro Martinez equally effective with the ball The Argentina international found a teammate with seven out of his eight attempted long balls, while also completing a 100% of his dribbles (all stats via sofascore). These are the types of performances fans have come to expect, and INEOS will be hoping for Lisandro Martinez to stay fit and produce the goods more often. With Ayden Heaven impressing whenever he gets the chance, and the co-owners looking to strengthen at the back, the United No.6 cannot afford to slack off. Or else, he might suddenly find his place under threat, and could be forced to pack his bags. Feature image Molly Darlington via Getty Images The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Ayantan Chowdhury After failing to become a professional footballer, Ayantan switched to the next best thing: writing about the greatest football club in the world. He has extensive sports journalism experience, having worked for over 10 years in the Indian sports media industry, writing for the biggest newspapers and websites. Currently an editor at The Peoples Person. You can follow him on X: @ayantanc_25