United put in a dominant performance at Old Trafford, scoring all three points with Brian Mbeumo and Patrick Dorg finding the back of the net, giving United a slight edge over the visitors. Martinez was the target of criticism from United icons Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt before kick-off.
In the podcast, the pair questioned whether the former Ajax defender has the physical attributes to stand up to City’s towering striker Erling Haaland, given their significant height difference.
However, Martínez proved the doubters wrong, putting in a solid performance in the heart of Carrick’s backline, effectively nullifying the Norwegian’s attacking threat.
In a post-match interview with Sky Sports, Martinez spoke about Carrick’s pre-match preparation and shared the 44-year-old’s words in the dressing room before the start of the match.
“One of the important things Michael Carrick said was to use people’s energy and I think we did that today. It’s impossible to lose at home when we’re together.”
“We know how much we have suffered during the season, but the only way is to show our face and show who we are.”
Rather than discussing his own individual performance, Martinez chose to praise his teammates for their cohesiveness and the attention-grabbing performance they delivered. The 27-year-old said: “This was the best moment.
“The whole team was a part of it, not just the players on the pitch, but also the players on the bench. When you play against these kinds of players, the team defends. It’s not just one or two players. We defended very well today.”
“We have always been compact, so we can go into the duel with confidence. You can see a different energy in the eyes of the players today.”
“Today the team won, and that’s the most important thing for me. It’s unbelievable. Being here with the fans and the team, we know how much we’ve suffered during the season. But the only way is to show up here and show who we are here. Today is the best moment to do that. Not just the players on the pitch, but the staff, everyone was a part of it.”
