Manchester United delivered Ruben Amorim his first clean sheet as they swept Everton aside in a 4-0 home triumph.
It was the strongest defensive display since the Portuguese’s arrival, and Lisandro Martinez was key to the United rearguard.
The Argentinian was immense at the back, where he lined up on the left of Amorim’s preferred back three alongside Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui.
Martinez made six clearances – three times more than anyone else in a red shirt, and twice as many as Everton’s top performer James Tarkowski.
He also made two interceptions to help keep the Toffees’ attacking threat at arm’s length.
But the 26-year-old was just as good on the ball, cementing himself as the heartbeat of Amorim’s build-from-the-back approach.
Martinez touched the ball 100 times, more than anyone else on the pitch and a huge 25 times more than the next-highest.
And he was productive when in possession, making 90 passes with a wonderful 96% accuracy as Amorim’s tactics started to take hold.
The combative defender did, however, blot his copybook by picking up a yellow card for a particularly heavy tackle.
The caution means he will have to sit out United’s next match, which will be their toughest test of the season so far – a trip to London to face high-flying Arsenal.
Harry Maguire came on to replace De Ligt and played most of the second half, meaning the Englishman could be in contention to start in his place at the Emirates.
United’s barnstorming 4-0 win lifts them into the top half and leaves them four points behind fourth-placed Brighton and Hove Albion.
All stats courtesy of sofascore.
Featured image Alex Livesey via Getty Images
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Joe Ponting
Joe has spent more than half his life writing about football and all of it following United. As a child he told a doctor his name was ‘Paul Scholes’, but could never pick a pass like him no matter how much he tried.
