Adrian Clarke looks at key tactical points and players who can be decisive in Matchweek 26.
Lisandro Martinez (MUN)
The World Cup winner will relish the prospect of Manchester United's encounter with Liverpool on Sunday.
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Martinez’s form is excellent coming into this crucial contest.
Rugged, competitive and full of defensive nous, the 25-year-old has quickly become a popular figure at Old Trafford.
He will savour the challenge of going toe-to-toe with the likes of Mohamed Salah, Darwin Nunez, Cody Gakpo and Diogo Jota in a red-hot atmosphere at Anfield.
Balance and bite
Erik ten Hag knows Martinez’s qualities well, having brought the defender with him from Ajax last summer.
Playing inside Luke Shaw, the left-footed Martinez provides a nice balance and is comfortable covering the left-back’s domain when Shaw pushes on.
In possession, the 'butcher', a nickname he was given due to his aggressive style of defending, is also a progressive passer who looks to feed the ball forward to midfielders.
Of the central defenders at Ten Hag’s disposal, Martinez makes the most forward passes.
Man Utd centre-backs' forward passes 22/23
| Player | Ratio of forward passes |
|---|---|
| Lisandro Martinez | 34.9% |
| Raphael Varane | 33.9% |
| Victor Lindelof | 30.4% |
| Harry Maguire | 27.2% |
His distribution helps United’s front men get on to the ball a fraction quicker, which in turn allows them extra space.
In defensive situations, Martinez is a belligerent presence who thrives off physical contact with strikers.
He gets tight and snaps into challenges that disrupt his opponents' rhythm, complementing centre-back partner Raphael Varane’s more elegant approach.
🫶 Pulling each other through a tough shift.
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) February 5, 2023
The United way 🔴#MUFC || #MUNCRY pic.twitter.com/VqTwCRMf9h
Martinez anticipates danger and will regularly throw himself into last-ditch tackles or blocks inside the penalty area.
Always brave and ready to put his body in the way of shots, he has made 21 blocks already in 2022/23.
His total is more than any defender playing for a side in the top eight.
Most blocks 2022/23
| Player | Blocks |
|---|---|
| James Tarkowski (EVE) | 53 |
| Ben Mee (BRE) | 27 |
| Max Kilman (WOL) | 25 |
| Lisandro Martinez (MUN) | 21 |
| Mohammed Salisu (SOU) | 21 |
| Chris Mepham (BOU) | 21 |
A blossoming partnership
Martinez and Varane made their first Premier League start together in the reverse fixture, a 2-1 home win over Liverpool in August.
It will be a source of frustration for Ten Hag that they have only made a further 11 starts as a pair since then, but the chemistry is building nicely.
Varane’s height, speed and reading of the game blends well with Martinez’s warrior-like style.
With in-form defensive midfielder Casemiro patrolling the region in front of those two, Man Utd have a far more solid feel this season.
Packed with big-match experience and natural defensive instincts, they are a unit whom Liverpool will not find easy to break down.
Also in this series
Part 1: Selles' hostile Saints ready to tackle relegation rivals Leicester
Part 2: Why are Newcastle struggling for goals?
