- Published
Lisandro Martinez made his way to the tunnel slowly and silently.
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Martinez → publish → tunnel
The whistles and jeers of the Chelsea fans were ringing in his ears.
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whistles → ring → ears
Manchester United coach Jonny Evans had a brief word, but Martinez didn't pay any attention.
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Martinez → have → attention
As a player, Martinez has scaled the heights.
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Martinez → scale → heights
Part of the Argentina squad that won the World Cup in 2022 and reached the final last summer.
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that → win → final
But at Stamford Bridge, when Michael Carrick needed his side to step up and his senior players to set an example, Martinez did the very opposite.
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Martinez → need → opposite
Eighteen days after Martinez called out United's summer recruitment, he suffered the kind of meltdown that would have left most United fans questioning whether that poor recruitment involved not turfing the 28-year-old out of Old Trafford.
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recruitment → call → Trafford
The former Ajax defender had been part of a much improved United performance at Stamford Bridge and Carrick's team should have been ahead at half-time.
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team → improve → time
Even when Morgan Rogers gave Chelsea a second-half lead, they had done enough for the visiting fans to believe a comeback was possible.
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comeback → give → enough
Instead, in the space one minute and 23 seconds, Martinez committed two fouls that left Carrick's side 2-0 down and playing with 10 men - with Chelsea subsequently cruising to victory.
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Chelsea → commit → victory
However this woeful period unfolds, it is unlikely Martinez's recklessness will be forgotten.
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recklessness → unfold → ?
Martinez 'rightly sent off'
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Martinez → send → ?
It was noticeable that Carrick did not look at Martinez as he made his way off the pitch.
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he → look → pitch
He was more concentrated on trying to come up with a plan with his assistant Steve Holland to get through the rest of the game.
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He → try → game
Asked afterwards if he felt let down by Martinez, Carrick said he had not had a chance to view the incident again.
"
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he → ask → incident
I've not seen it back, so I don't know if it was or not" adding "it's a big moment in the game".
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it → see → game
Carrick continued: "The second goal and losing a man at that stage had a big influence on it, for sure."
For context, Martinez, already on a booking, chose the moment Estevao swung over the corner to try and block off Wesley Fofana at the far post.
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Estevao → continue → post
In the process, Martinez raised his elbow and caught the defender in the face.
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Martinez → raise → face
The incident was missed in real time but video assistant referee (VAR) James Bell advised referee Peter Bankes to go to the screen and the obvious conclusion was reached.
World Cup final official Darren Cann called Martinez's actions "inexplicable".
"He jumped into him, making no attempt to play the ball and not even looking at the ball as it came in from the corner," Cann told BBC Sport.
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Cann → miss → Sport
"Martinez was rightly sent off for two bookable offences, as well as conceding a needless penalty for the reckless challenge on Fofana.
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Martinez → send → Fofana
"
Martinez at 'scene of crime too often'
United avoided the ignominy of a third successive three-goal defeat for the first time since 1961 thanks to a very tight VAR decision that ruled out Estevao's effort for offside.
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that → avoid → offside
Martinez will now be suspended for next Sunday's Premier League match with Aston Villa at Old Trafford.
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Martinez → suspend → Trafford
"At 1-0 down United are still in a decent position," former England and Liverpool defender Stephen Warnock told BBC Sport.
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Warnock → tell → Sport
"[After a red card] you are out on the pitch thinking 'you've just made our life so much harder'.
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life → think → pitch
Sometimes you can go [back into the dressing room] raging.
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you → go → room
"If the player sent off holds his hands up and says 'sorry, boys, I've let you down' it can diffuse the situation but the issue is that Martinez is making mistake after mistake at the moment."
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Martinez → send → moment
"In a Man Utd shirt, he's just at the scene of the crime too often," he said.
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he → say → crime
"Whatever the next Man Utd phase is, I think Martinez's time at the club has run its course."
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time → think → course
If Martinez's actions were inexcusable, the reality is United were losing when they were reduced to 10 men.
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they → lose → men
Four excellent opportunities came and went.
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opportunities → come → ?
Bruno Fernandes and Amad both blazed off target when they should have done much better.
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they → blaze → target
Chelsea keeper Mike Penders made two excellent saves.
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Penders → make → saves
Even in the latter stages, Bryan Mbeumo's blistering shot couldn't find its way in.
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shot → find → way
On the bench, Carrick must have wondered if his luck will ever change.
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luck → wonder → bench
They are teetering on the brink of dropping into the relegation zone for the first time since Sir Alex Ferguson's early days and on Tuesday welcome Serie A outfit Roma to Old Trafford knowing they need a win to keep their Champions League qualification hopes realistic.
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they → teeter → hopes
"There's no words I'm going to explain to you now that makes any difference," he said.
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he → be → difference
"It's not going to change it.
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It → go → it
We've got to move forward and win football matches, it's as simple as that.
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it → get → that
"The way they went about it and played, the quality of football and the way we played in the first half definitely gives encouragement, and we've got to take that."
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we → go → that
The Aporia
