Anthony Martial scored Manchester United’s first Premier League hat trick for seven years to earn Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team a 3-0 win over Sheffield United at Old Trafford.
The Frenchman scored twice in the first half and again after the break to stretch United’s unbeaten run to 13 games and leave them just two points behind Chelsea, who play Manchester City at Stamford Bridge on Thursday.
Martial’s hat trick, capped with a wonderful third at the end of a move that involved Paul Pogba, Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford, was his first in senior football and United’s first in the league since Robin van Persie’s against Aston Villa in April 2013 when Sir Alex Ferguson was still in charge.
Solskjaer put a lot of faith in Martial when Romelu Lukaku left, making the 24-year-old his first-choice centre-forward after he had spent most of his United career on the wing.
He has had poor games, Tottenham on Friday was one, — but his three goals against Sheffield United took him to 19 for the season, his best tally since arriving at Old Trafford in 2015.
There wasn’t much wrong with the performance, but Rashford will be disappointed he didn’t take two good chances in the first half. It’s perhaps to be expected after being sidelined since January and training at home for three months. Solskjaer will hope his sharpness in front of goal returns soon.
The Norwegian picked an attacking team with Fernandes, Pogba, Rashford, Martial and Mason Greenwood in the same XI for the first time, and it paid off. United were 2-0 up at half-time but it could have been five had they taken their chances.
David De Gea, had very little to do. The perfect game with the spotlight on him after his mistake at Tottenham.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka Beat Enda Stevens from a standing start to cross for Martial to make it 2-0 just before half-time.
Luke Shaw, Was told to “switch on” by Harry Maguire midway through the first half after nearly getting caught in possession.
Victor Lindelof, Recovered from a knock against Spurs to start. Good piece of early defending to intercept John Lundstram’s dangerous cross.
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