Despite coming in for heavy criticism earlier in the season due to his initial struggles, as many questioned his height and suitability for the Premier League, Lisandro Martinez's sparkling recent form has emphatically silenced the doubters.
With the pressure and expectations high when Manchester United snapped him up in a hefty £55 million transfer from Ajax in the summer that saw him reunite with newly installed Red Devils manager, Erik ten Hag, things got off to a rocky start for him.
Not exactly covering himself in glory in Man Utd's disastrous losses to begin the campaign against Brighton and especially v Brentford, where he was hooked at half time during a 4-0 thumping, he deserves immense credit for turning around his fortunes.
Having overcome the aforementioned adversity, the ultra competitive and talented Argentine's adaptation to the league is now going brilliantly, which has certainly been helped by him working under a manager in ten Hag, who he knows so well and was an instrumental figure in developing him into the elite player he is today at Ajax.
Going from strength to strength with every passing week, the diminutive defender now looks like one of the signings of the season, as his consistently outstanding performances have been integral towards United's upturn in form, plus seen him emerge as a real cult hero among the fans.
"The Premier League is the best league in the world because it is very physical and you are playing against the best players in the world every game," Martinez insisted.
"You have to prepare, you have to be ready for that. At the beginning, I think it was a bit hard but like every step I've had to take in my career, you have to work hard, you have to keep going. Now we are doing well.
"It makes me feel very proud, I'm really happy to feel this love from the fans. I was surprised, to be honest, because I had never been to England before and I really love the passion of the people.
"It's not just Manchester United, it is every stadium. It is amazing to play like that. Every stadium you can feel the atmosphere and that is great for me because I want to play every game at 100 percent."
Producing the goods and now looking right at home at the level, the fact he's helped Man Utd keep five consecutive clean sheets at Old Trafford and has been involved in all of their games so far serves as a testament to his impact.
Facing off with a quality laden West Ham side at the weekend, that featured many offensive weapons in the form of Gianluca Scamacca, Jarrod Bowen and Said Benrahma, Martinez's accomplished showing yet again encapsulated what a force he is to be reckoned with.
Making two defensive interventions inside the first 40 seconds, this set the tone for another exceptional night at the office for him, in a match where he handled his responsibilities and opponents with aplomb.
Attentive and alert to nearby threats through his persistent scannings that gave him the frequently updated information of his surroundings needed to adjust his positioning to deal with impending danger, this held him in good stead to deal with whatever he was confronted with.
As a result, he recognised when to track a runner himself, support a teammate with a marking assignment and fill in the space expertly when Harry Maguire or Luke Shaw stepped out to follow their man.
In addition, how he communicated and gestured with his colleagues to maintain their shape or bring incoming danger to their attention, plus how he knew when to step up, drop back, shift across or hold his post, enhanced his collective and individual value.
Positioned ideally to cut out crosses and cutbacks, valiantly block shots and generally stifle the Hammers' attacks, his blend of brains and brawn was on full display.
Putting his body on the line relentlessly to do whatever he could to protect his goal, there was certainly much to admire about his selflessness, which importantly led the way for his teammates to follow.
Indeed, two stirring examples of this arose in the second half, firstly when he copped a nasty boot to the head from Scamacca to remove the danger immediately after blocking a shot, and then when he courageously headed clear with the towering Craig Dawson converging on him at the back post.
Brave, never one to take a backwards step and forceful, he handled his duels expertly by using his strength, low centre of gravity and anticipation to not only outmuscle foes, but also to nip in and break up attacks before they could gain traction.
Getting little details spot on like taking up a powerful, crouched posture so he could react rapidly when 1v1, using his arms and upper body to impede the momentum of opposition runs in behind and only applying his challenges when he was confident he could recover possession duly enhanced his effectiveness.
Another aspect of his game that rose to the fore was how he doggedly followed the likes of Scamacca and then Michail Antonio whenever they dropped deep with their back to goal.
Wanting to impose himself physically on his adversaries and give them no time or space to turn or control cleanly, this assertive approach worked wonders, enabling him to force many turnovers.
Reading the play astutely, picking up the ball's flight swiftly and using his handy leap and strength, opponents found little joy against him in aerial duels too, for he dealt with these instances competently.
Meanwhile, in terms of his work in possession, there was much to admire about his exertions in this phase too.
Calm and assured with the ball at his feet, Martinez not only kept things ticking over with his measured passing to recirculate possession while waiting for a weakness in the West Ham shape, but he also breathed life into passages with his ball carrying and progressive distribution.
To start with the latter, and it was positive to see him use his wand of a left foot to switch the angle of attacks, find teammates with penetrative line breaking passes, disguise his intentions shrewdly to unbalance opponents and strike the odd long range bullet in behind.
Although he wasn't as involved as in other games, his impact was still felt keenly in this regard.
Then, when it came to his dribbling, his prowess here was beneficial in gaining territory for his team, attracting pressure to subsequently open passing lanes so a free man could be accessed and to allow him to wriggle free when under duress.
Casemiro's input was key
It must be noted that a pivotal reason behind his impact going forward was down to the positional and numerical superiorities Man Utd created in build up.
Keeping the Hammers guessing by altering their setup, sometimes they'd build in a two with Casemiro ahead to form a triangle, play out in a three with Casemiro dropping between Maguire and Martinez and also mix things up by having one or both fullbacks stay deeper and getting Christian Eriksen and Bruno Fernandes to support in the ball near half spaces at differing heights.
The examples below illustrate a couple of the schemes implemented, with their ability to generate overloads and vary their approach crucial in unbalancing the Irons' first line of pressure.
Operating with composure, authority and conviction on both sides of the ball, his latest masterclass was a joy to watch and further endeared himself to the Old Trafford faithful.
Martinez motivating Maguire
Moreover, considering he put in such an upside littered shift without usual partner in crime, Raphael Varane, who's out injured, but instead alongside Maguire, was also impressive.
Indeed, having the commanding presence of Martinez next to the Englishman seemed to help him play at a level not far removed from his best, which is certainly good news for both Man Utd and England.
“He’s added so much to the team. He’s given them so much," explained former United midfielder Owen Hargreaves. “His performance in this game had a big impact on Harry Maguire as well. There were so many positives for United today but defensively Martinez was fantastic. Erik ten Hag will be really pleased.”
By the numbers, his 14 ball recoveries, nine won defensive duels, eight interceptions, four clearances, four accurate passes into the final third and the fact he completed 53 of 58 attempted passes punctuated his polished efforts.
What’s more, upon comparing his statistics to those of Arsenal’s central defensive hotshot, William Saliba, from this season using Wyscout, and it's impressive how Martinez holds the ascendancy in many key metrics related to successful defensive actions, defensive duels, interceptions, blocked shots, sliding tackles, dribbling, progressive runs, progressive passing, passes into the final third, through balls and deep completions.
A truly elite ball playing centre back who defends in a no nonsense yet highly intelligent manner, expect Martinez to crucially keep improving as he continues his quest to fully assimilate with his new teammates and life in England.
One of the first names on the team sheet and so highly regarded by ten Hag, who also warrants praise for sticking by Martinez during his rough patch, all the signs are positive that there's only blue skies ahead for the inspirational, multifaceted Argentine following his difficult beginnings.
