Great Expectations – Anthony Martial

While Anthony Martial may have arrived at Old Trafford last September as something of an unknown quantity, the exorbitant amount it took to sign him from Monaco meant much was expected from the-then 19-year-old attacker.

The Frenchman ended the campaign with a reasonable return of 11 goals and six assists from 31 Premier League appearances, playing predominantly on the left wing, with his personal highlights including a goal on his debut against Liverpool, while he also scored a last minute winner in the 2-1 win over Everton in the FA Cup semi-final.

A fifth place finish in the Premier League saw Louis van Gaal replaced by Jose Mourinho as Man United manager, and with the Portuguese boss able to bring in the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Henrikh Mkhitaryan this summer, it’s expected that United will considerably improve on the meagre 49 goals they managed last term.

Having had a year to find his feet in England, Martial looks poised to better his attacking output from last season this time around, and reclassified as a midfielder in Fantasy Premier League (FPL) this season, is likely to prove a popular option for Fantasy managers.

• The Van Gaal era at Old Trafford saw United regress significantly as an attacking force, so the arrival of Mourinho should see some improvement on that front. While the Portuguese manager’s sides haven’t always been the most attack-minded, Chelsea did score 73 goals in their 2014/15 title winning campaign, more than any side managed last term. Expectations for the likes of Martial should certainly be higher this time around then.

• With Mkhitaryan’s creativity and Ibrahimovic’s ability to bring his team-mates into play, United’s forward line should be much improved this season. Martial only managed a goal attempt every 48.6 minutes last time out, but with the new boys providing 15 and 13 league assists for Dortmund and PSG respectively, the Frenchman’s ability to run in behind opposition backlines could come to fruition more often.

• Martial impressively produced 213 penalty box touches last season, just two less than Tottenham’s Harry Kane despite playing seven less matches and being mainly stationed on the left flank. A goal conversion rate of 19.3% compared favourably to the likes of Arsenal’s Olivier Giroud (15.8%), Kane (15.7%) and Everton’s Romelu Lukaku (15.3%), so if he United can create him more opportunities, Martial’s clinical nature in front of goal should see an improvement on last year’s 11 strikes.

• Martial was a major beneficiary of the Bonus Point System (BPS) last season, accruing 21 in total, a number that would have ranked him sixth among midfielders. Only Crystal Palace’s Wilfried Zaha (274) and Leicester’s Riyad Mahrez (255) managed more dribbles than Martial’s 207 last season among midfielders and forwards, which is one area the former Monaco attacker should continue to shine in. His reclassification as a midfielder will also see him earn an extra point for each goal scored and clean sheet registered, so after United claimed 18 shut-outs last term, there is clearly plenty of scope for Martial to better his 141 points in FPL from last season.

• The 20-year-old currently sits in just 7.5% of FPL 15-man squads, whereas fellow United midfielder Mkhitaryan has an ownership of 19.1%, with Ibrahimovic leading the way among Mourinho’s side with 31.8% ownership. The France international is shaping up to be a differential heading into Gameweek 1, then, and considering his place in the starting XI looks pretty secure, with the likes of Memphis Depay and Jesse Lingard offering back-up, he certainly appears an overlooked option at this point in time.

• Given United’s generally favourable start (bou, SOT, hul, MCI, wat) to the new campaign, many Fantasy managers will be trying to find a spot for at least one of their attackers. With Martial and Mkhitaryan (both 9.5) offering a 2.0 saving from the Swede, the pair may offer the superior value, particularly if Rooney maintains spot-kick duties ahead of the former PSG striker. With Mkhitaryan still an unknown quantity when it comes to English football, despite his impressive attacking statistics whilst playing for Dortmund, Martial could be the one to favour from the off.