“He’s been excellent” – Jamie Carragher changes opinion on Manchester United star after brilliant display in 2-1 win over Liverpool

Manchester United defender Lisandro Martinez was singled out for praise by former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher following his performance against the Reds on August 22.

The defender's performance, who arrived from Ajax earlier this season for a deal worth £56.7 million, was widely questioned after the 0-4 defeat to Brentford on August 13.

One of the voices that had raised the biggest questions about Martinez’s ability to play at the highest level was Carragher. The player-turned-pundit, however, had to swallow his words at full-time in light of the Argentine’s fine performance saying (via United in Focus):

“I questioned him last week aerially. Anything on the floor tonight he’s dealt with. He’s been excellent.”

Martinez, who was previously known as the 'Butcher of Amsterdam' for his defensive acumen, found his best form against the Reds alongside Raphael Varane. The solidity of the pairing might prove to be a blow to United captain Harry Maguire’s starting berth moving forward.

Red Devils boss Erik ten Hag was happy with Martinez's defensive performance from the night and will hope he can replicate such performances consistently in the Premier League. The hard work now begins for Manchester United as they hope to improve on their poor start to the season and finish in the top four.

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Manchester United 2-1 Liverpool: Match Report

Manchester United hosted Liverpool in the Premier League for their third game of the campaign and showed considerable improvement after their 0-4 loss to Brentford last weekend. The Red Devils played like a team with a point to prove, particularly in the first half, and the fans will be pleased with the improvement so far.

The home side took the first half by the scruff of the neck, with Ten Hag’s men looking like the better side early on. They even went close to taking the lead, but youngster Anthony Elanga's shot hit the woodwork in the 10th minute.

However, the Red Devils did open the scoring in the 16th minute through Jadon Sancho. The England international found himself in the Liverpool box and promptly put James Milner on his backside before slotting the ball past an outstretched Alisson.

United went into the break 1-0 up and were worthy of their lead in the fixture up until that point. However, the Merseysiders improved significantly before half time, putting the home side on the back foot and nearly forcing Bruno Fernandes to put the ball into his own net.

The Red Devils would double their lead in the second half with Marcus Rashford scoring from an Anthony Martial assist. The Frenchman only came on for Elanga in the second half, but was able to set up Rashford for the home side’s second.

Liverpool got one back in the 81st minute through a Mohamed Salah header after a Fabio Carvalho shot was too much for the Manchester United defense to handle. However, they failed to find another goal and left Old Trafford with a defeat to their name.