Hit: Martinez silences doubters
The 5’9″ Lisandro Martinez stood six feet tall by the time Manchester United had secured Erik ten Hag’s first victory.
Little more than a week ago the ?57m Argentine centre-back had been hauled off at half-time after being dominated by Ben Mee and Brentford, with questions over whether his height, or lack of, would be able to cope in the Premier League.
Darwin Nunez’s Liverpool absence undoubtedly helped, but the 24-year-old showed his quality on the left side of United’s defence up against Mohamed Salah. It was a different challenge – one of positioning and patience, knowing when to step in and be aggressive.
“Being 5ft 9in is a problem,” said Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher. “But if I think of the best centre-back I’ve ever seen it is Franco Baresi. He was 5ft 9in, 5ft10. If you are that height, you have to be outstanding in everything else. He was 10/10 in everything else, 6/10 in the air. Martinez did that tonight. He has to win the game on the floor, he has to read the game. That will compensate for his height.”