Manchester United experienced midweek heartbreak in Istanbul on UEFA Champions League Matchday 5, leading to the elimination of the Premier League side from the competition. The Turkish champions, Galatasaray came from behind to level the scoreline against the English visitors.
Before recovering from the Champions League blow, Erik Ten Hag’s side suffered another narrow 1-0 defeat in their league outing against Newcastle United at St. James’ Park on Saturday. During the match, the Dutch boss appeared to be involved in an on-field altercation with forward Antony Martial.
Erik Ten Hag involved in heated argument with Martial
The Red Devils’ three successive winning streaks came to an end at the hands of the Magpies, resulting in their sixth domestic defeat of the season. This marked the second loss to the same opposition. Earlier, they faced a 3-0 defeat, resulting in their elimination from the Carabao Cup as Manchester United failed to defend their title.
With another defeat, United slid down to the seventh spot in the Premier League points table. The English forward Antony Gordon was the difference-maker, scoring the only goal in the match. In the previous outing, the Red Devils thrashed Everton 3-0, thanks to Alejandro Garnacho’s goal of the season strike.
Erik Ten Hag’s team displayed a miserable performance, especially on offense, registering a single shot on target in the game against the injury-affected Newcastle side. The hosts’ defense didn’t face much of a challenge, securing a clean sheet and collecting all three points.
During the match, United boss Erik Ten Hag and striker Antony Martial were involved in heated arguments. Clips surfacing on social media showed the Dutch boss instructing the French forward to press the opposition, to which the 27-year-old reacted furiously by throwing his arms in the middle of the pitch.
Martial received his fourth start of the season ahead of Rasmus Hojlund. However, following the incident and due to a lack of aggressive intent, Hojlund eventually took his place in the 61st minute.
Ten Hag comments on the incident
Just when things were going well for Erik Ten Hag, a league defeat dealt a setback amid the on-field dispute with Martial. Following the slender defeat, the Red Devils’ boss opened up about the incident with the French forward.
During the post-match press conference, Ten Hag said, “It’s not about Anthony Martial; it’s about the team. I’m trying to energize the team and get a reaction from them at this moment.”
He added, “As you see, we had a tough period and when you’re coaching you are a little more aggressive, so that’s normal,”
Next up, Manchester United will face Chelsea and Bournemouth next week before their final Champions League group stage fixture against Group A table topper Bayern Munich on 13 December.
