{"id":1148620,"date":"2020-06-24T20:14:04","date_gmt":"2020-06-24T19:14:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/?p=1148620"},"modified":"2021-03-30T09:58:23","modified_gmt":"2021-03-30T08:58:23","slug":"manchester-united-3-0-sheffield-united-match-analysis-martial-rashford-solskjaer","status":"publish","type":"features","link":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/manchester-united-3-0-sheffield-united-match-analysis-martial-rashford-solskjaer\/","title":{"rendered":"Magical Martial’s historic hat-trick shows that he’s the total package"},"content":{"rendered":"

In a one-sided evening of football, Manchester United thrashed Sheffield United 3-0 at Old Trafford.<\/strong><\/p>\n

It was April 23rd, 2013 when Robin van Persie sealed Manchester United’s last Premier League title with Manchester United’s last Premier League hat-trick. A magical moment where the Dutchman stuck two steady finishes either side of an absolutely storming volley.<\/p>\n

Then for seven years, there were no more hat-tricks. Not for Van Persie, not for Wayne Rooney, not for Radamel Falcao, Angel di Maria, Juan Mata, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Alexis S\u00e1nchez, Romelu Lukaku, Marcus Rashford… but today that all changed.<\/p>\n

\"Black<\/a>

Black Lives Matter:<\/span> Read more about the cause footballers are taking the knee for<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n

Anthony Martial is a divisive figure among Manchester United fans, largely thanks to his incredible inconsistency. The Frenchman can be magnificent one week and then miserable the next, which is not good if you are your side’s lead forward. All of his wonderful link-play can be for naught if he, himself, doesn’t threaten goal enough.<\/p>\n

Moreover, Martial has routinely shown an inability to get the kind of basic goals the best strikers thrive on. The simple one-touch strikes from close range that can bump up your scoring total into the 20’s and 30’s. His career-best goal total was 17, his second-best? 12. These are rookie numbers in this racket and at 24-years-old, Martial is no rookie anymore.<\/p>\n

Today against Sheffield United, Anthony Martial put in what you would probably describe as a true coming-of-age performance even given the striker’s age. This looked like a player finally coming to life and figuring it out.<\/p>\n

\n

Anthony Martial is the first Man Utd player to score a Premier League hat-trick since Robin van Persie in April 2013.<\/p>\n

76 hat-tricks were scored in the competition between RVP\u2019s and AM9\u2019s. ? pic.twitter.com\/CwuVVdo30b<\/a><\/p>\n

— Squawka (@Squawka) June 24, 2020<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n