Lisandro Martinez hands Man Utd great escape after avoiding red for horror lunge
Lisandro Martinez hands Man Utd great escape after avoiding red for horror lunge
Share:
This one will go down as the great escape. Manchester United were incredibly fortunate to get away with all three points after a pretty ugly, scrappy affair at Craven Cottage. And Lisandro Martinez was lucky to still be on the pitch to score the winner after a two-footed lunge on Adama Traore as the two of them reignited old hostilities.
Martinez’s shot was deflected up and over Fulham keeper Bernd Leno to delight the travelling fans behind the goal who had stuck with United throughout. How first referee Anthony Taylor and then the VAR missed Martinez’s challenge on Traore is anyone’s guess. How much contact is almost irrelevant. Martinez set out to do him. It has not been a good weekend for officials.
Their beef dates back to when the clubs met in August as Martinez said he sent Traore “to the gym” and the Fulham player hit back by saying they “will meet again.” Martinez is the firebrand in United’s team and you would not want to pick a fight with him but his two-footed lunges are becoming a trademark.
The challenge sparked angry scenes afterwards and fate always dictates that Martinez would be the match-winner. The VAR match centre did not think it made the threshold. Frankly, it was largely an awful game. The worst of the Premier League weekend but probably an early 40th birthday present for United boss Ruben Amorim.
United have an incredible record at Craven Cottage and this made it eight straight wins at Fulham to push them into the lofty heights of 12th. There is a long way back for United and if life begins at 40 then Amorim must also be hoping his brave new world begins soon.
