Lisandro Martinez has responded defiantly to criticism from Manchester United legends Nicky Butt and Paul Scholes after his brilliant performance in the Red Devils’ 2-0 derby victory over Manchester City at Old Trafford.
Before the game, Butt and Scholes doubted Martinez’s ability to cope with City striker Erling Haaland, with Butt comparing the Argentine defender to a “little toddler”, and Scholes forecasting that the Norwegian would overpower him. However, the centre-back ended up being the one who was smiling because Haaland was pretty much taken out of the game.
Haaland, the Premier League’s leading scorer, managed only 14 touches of the ball, with just two occurring in United’s penalty area. The City striker has not scored an open-play goal in seven games, which is now his longest goal drought in Europe’s top five leagues.
In a post-match interview, Martinez brushed off the comments and said that they’re never going to say this to him face-to-face. He emphasized that it’s just him, his performance, and his commitment to the club that matter, and that opinions shown on TV don’t mean much to him.
The victory was United’s 10th against a team managed by Pep Guardiola, equalling the record for most defeats by the Spaniard against any one club. Martinez also lauded the relationship between the players and the fans, placing a great emphasis on being willing to work hard, playing with intensity, and living up to the club’s identity on the pitch.
