The meteoric rise to prominence of Anthony Martial seems to have shocked pretty much everyone.
Louis van Gaal was perhaps diverting the pressure off the lad when he said on signing him:
“Yes I spend a lot of money on Martial – but I buy him for my successor, Ryan Giggs.”
But there was an obvious air of realism about the sentiment at the time too. This was, after all, a 19 year old who had only played one full season – in France.
And highly respected newspapers weren’t including him their predicted starting elevens even a couple of weeks ago. Here, The Guardian expects him to sit on the bench in what turned out to be a match-winning performance against Southampton.
And now, just a month after his arrival, it’s inconceivable that he won’t start when fit.
Indeed he has quickly become Manchester United’s most potent attacking weapon, already shackled by two or three players whenever he receives the ball, but still usually able to wriggle away from them or do something decent with the ball.
His potential is truly frightening and when you look at the current state of Arsenal’s defence, Arsene Wenger must already be having nightmares about this game.
An injury to Laurent Koscielny means that Arsenal will probably go with Mertesacker and Gabriel on Sunday. We are fans of Brazilian Paulista but he is still learning the ropes. And Mertesacker has long been the subject of our chagrin.
A player like John Terry can get away with being outpaced by many an opponent because he is such a great reader of the game.
But Mertesacker gets caught out too often and we fear for him against the pace and precision of Martial.
Even if Wenger does ask his defence to double team on Martial we still think that the young Frenchman, with the world at his feet, can be the main instrument of pain for Arsenal on Sunday.
Manchester United fans: will he be Sunday’s match-winner?
