The Premier League returns after the international fortnight, with Manchester United looking to bounce back from a humbling 3-1 defeat to Manchester City at the Etihad when they welcome Roy Hodgson’s Crystal Palace to Old Trafford this Saturday afternoon.
Red Devils winger Anthony Martial has scored in his last five Premier League games for Man Utd and could become just the fourth different player to score in six consecutive appearances for the side in the Premier League era if he does so against the Eagles this weekend.
Only Ruud Van Nistelrooy, Cristiano Ronaldo and King Eric Cantona have previously managed the feat.
Now a nigh-undroppable component of manager Jose Mourinho’s current United set-up, against a Crystal Palace side who are winless in seven Premier League games (having drawn two and loss five), Martial will surely fancy his chances at matching that record set by those illustrious luminaries.
Van Nistelrooy himself achieved an astonishing goalscoring run that saw him bag in 10 consecutive Premier League fixtures, a record that stood for over a decade before being beaten by Jamie Vardy in Leicester City’s triumphant title-winning 2015/16 season.
Martial’s run began in a remarkable comeback at home to Newcastle United, followed by a brace against Chelsea, and then goals against Everton, Bournemouth, and the consolation penalty at Man City.
Martial’s importance to this current United set-up cannot be understated, out of the 20 goals United have scored in the Premier League so far this season; he has contributed six in his nine appearances (a 33% contribution rate) and is scoring on average every 104 minutes.
That’s a better rate than Mohamed Salah, Eden Hazard, and Sergio Aguero, with every single one of his nine shots this season have been on target.
Manchester United versus Crystal Palace kicks off at 3pm this Saturday, 24th November 2018, with Mourinho well aware that he has lost only one of his 51 Premier League home games kicking off at that time on a Saturday, and that coming when he was Chelsea manager. The opponent? Palace.