Anthony Martial may have effectively sealed his exit from Manchester United today. At the very least, he has alienated a large section of the supporter base, and the Frenchman wasn’t exactly a fan favorite to begin with.
Up 1-0 at AFC Bournemouth, thanks to a goal of the year nominee kind of scoring strike, via Casemiro in the 9′, Martial got subbed off in the 58′. He didn’t take it well, storming off the pitch and heading straight into the changing room.
Anthony Martial straight down the tunnel after getting taken off. pic.twitter.com/GGKURlhJaf
— Paul, Manc Bald and Bred (@MufcWonItAll) May 20, 2023
Martial was having a decent, although not exactly super impressive kind of game, so he was probably confused as to why he was being subbed. The man who came on his stead, Wout Weghorst, hasn’t even scored a single Premier League goal since moving over in January on loan.
Weghorst has been a disaster signing to say the least.
In other words, you can understand why Anthony Martial would be upset here.
But again, this is a very poor look for the forward. According to the man who made substitution, manager Erik ten Hag, Martial did actually come back to the bench and join the rest of the his teammates to watch the end of the match.
??? Erik ten Hag has said that Anthony Martial came back to the bench after initially heading down the tunnel. #MUFC pic.twitter.com/Smg0Hk7MYr
— UtdPlug (@UtdPlug) May 20, 2023
Top Four Race Nearly Over
With the results today, Manchester United and Newcastle United both have 69 points, and two matches to go. Newcastle remain third on goal differential (+35 to +11). Meanwhile Liverpool, who remain fifth with 66 points (+28 goal differential), only have one match left.
Jurgen Klopp kept saying his side wasn’t really in the race for Champions League qualification, and know the table seems to verify that.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He’s written for numerous publications, including the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. He regularly appears on NTD News and WGN News Now. Follow the website on Twitter and Instagram.