Anthony Martial lost his temper after a disappointing display against Tottenham Hotspur several weeks ago and accidentally hit a staff member with a bottle of water, according to reports. The Frenchman has struggled to build on his excellent start to the season and failed to make an impact in Manchester United’s 2-0 defeat to Spurs at Wembley at the very end of January. And it appears his frustration boiled over after the match, with The Sun claiming he burst into a fit of rage and sent a water bottle flying, which hit a member of United’s backroom team.
Martial was lucky to avoid being substituted against Tottenham in a performance that was short on confidence and quality, rarely troubling Spurs full-back Kieran Trippier. He left the pitch annoyed with his display and was furious in the Wembley dressing room afterwards, getting involved in a bust-up, and was subsequently dropped in the following league match against Huddersfield.
It is not the only time United have had problems in the dressing room this season, with reports also revealing a furious exchange between Jose Mourinho and his players after the defeat to Newcastle. The Portuguese coach singled out both Paul Pogba and Phil Jones for their performances, suggesting the Frenchman was too careless with the ball.
Pogba was absent from Saturday’s FA Cup win over Huddersfield due to illness, while Jones was rested, and both are doubts for the upcoming Champions League tie. The Red Devils take on Sevilla in the first leg of their round-of-16 encounter in Seville and Mourinho faces something of a selection dilemma, with Pogba urging his boss to switch to a 4-3-3 formation.
