Manchester United have had a strange couple of seasons. Widely playing second best, Louis van Gaal has been on the brink of the sack on numerous occasions and some sections of the club's support have been pretty forthcoming in their criticism of the team.

But at Wembley a week ago, Man United showed they do have the bottle for big games and they were led by one man who really has stepped up when he was so desperately needed.

Many agree: it was Anthony Martial that led the line and took Man United to a victory they (and LVG) so desperately needed. Despite only being 20-years of age, the Frenchman led the line extraordinarily well and proved to some United fans that Wayne Rooney needn’t be the saviour for much longer.

He now has 14 goals and seven assists for the Red Devils this season, more than any other player at the club, and has begun to justify the mega money paid for him. The ease in which he swept in his side's injury time winner on Saturday illustrated the maturity he has.

His winner would have come as a welcome break for Van Gaal, but whether it’s enough to save the Dutchman’s job at the end of the season is still yet to be seen. He also assisted Marouane Fellaini’s goal in the game, well-and-truly proving that this semi-final belonged to him.

He’s no world-beater just yet, but he’s proving match-by-match that he has the skill and ability to rival some of the best players around on his day. But whilst his skill and finesse are notable, his mental strength and calmness have really surprised many this season. For someone who is only 20, he shows a supreme ability to remain cool, calm and collected.

When your price-tag could rise to as much as £50m, there is naturally a huge amount of pressure on your shoulders. Even though the fee never has anything to do with the player himself, his colleagues, manager, journalists and supporters will judge his performances with the figure in mind. When your value is so much more than everyone else’s in the team, there is that natural pressure to outshine others, something that doesn’t seem to hinder Martial in the slightest.

He’s carving some name for himself and all in his first season, too. He’s definitely on the way to laying down some special foundations, and the footballing world will continue to question how much Man United actually need Wayne Rooney with Martial in the team.

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