Anthony Martial started for Manchester United at Arsenal on Sunday (Picture: Getty Images)
Erik ten Hag hailed the performance of Anthony Martial during Manchester United’s defeat to Arsenal on Sunday afternoon, despite a largely forgettable day for the Frenchman.
The Red Devils were beaten 3-1 in a dramatic contest which saw the visitors take the lead in the first half at the Emirates before an almost immediate equaliser from the home side.
A draw looked likely as the clock ticked past 90 minutes, but Declan Rice and Gabriel Jesus goals deep into injury time secured three points for Mikel Arteta’s men.
Martial started the game as centre-forward for Manchester United and was largely anonymous, doing little of much note as his team played on the counter-attack and Arsenal had the majority of the ball.
The Frenchman was replaced by debutant Rasmus Hojlund on 67 minutes and the Dane seemed to bring something else to the table, with United gaining more territory with a greater presence up top.
Asked about Hojlund’s performance, Ten Hag praised the summer signing, but also hailed the display of Martial.
‘I think he played very good but I also think Martial had a good performance,’ said the Dutchman. ‘I think Rasmus Hojlund had a very good impact on the game.’
Ten Hag may have praised his strikers but he cut a frustrated figure after the defeat, fuming with an Alejandro Garnacho goal which was ruled out for offside, a challenge on Hojlund not given as a penalty and Rice’s goal not being ruled out for something he felt was a foul on Jonny Evans.
‘I think the performance is right for us. We played a very good game but everything went against us,’ Ten Hag told Sky Sports. ‘Then you don’t win the game. You need a little bit more luck to win the game.
‘It is not offside. That is the wrong angle. The penalty on Hojlund and when we concede the goal it’s a clear foul on Evans. You can say “finish your chances” and you can say ‘don’t concede after going 1-0 up’ but I am happy with the performance and it was a step forward.
‘Everyone was involved. I think on the ball we were calm but there is room for improvement. We missed some passes forward and could have hurt them more. But I am happy with the performance from the team.’
For more stories like this, check our sport page.
Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.