Anthony Martial Has What It Takes to Become a Huge Star for Manchester United

In the first half of Manchester United's 2-1 FA Cup semi-final win over Everton at Wembley Stadium, Anthony Martial carved out a good chance for himself. There was some neat interplay around the box—a feature of United's game on Saturday—then Martial broke beyond Everton's defence.

He blasted the ball over Joel Robles' bar, unable to capitalise on the moment.

In the 93rd minute, after Ander Herrera poked the ball through to him, he made no such mistake. A curling, low, side-footed finish—the kind he is already making a trademark—sent United into the final and the United end into raptures.

It was the second iconic moment he has enjoyed this season. The first came on his debut against Liverpool back in September—that spine-tingling run and finish that made certain of United's victory and caused the football world to consider that perhaps United's initial £36 million investment in Martial may have been worthwhile after all.

He is not a world-beater yet, but it looks as though he is well on his way to becoming one.

In his first season at Old Trafford, he has shown a tendency that truly great players share: the ability to step up make the difference in crucial moments. As well as his obvious ability, there appears to a mental strength, shown in his remarkable composure, which marks him out for greatness.

Consider the winner he scored on Sunday. With a huge amount at stake, having blown a chance from a similar position in the first half, he managed to find the clarity to produce a top-drawer finish.

It showed the same composure and clarity he found when through on goal on his debut, a few days after signing for United for huge money, in front of the Stretford End, against United's biggest rivals.

He has already proved to be a big-game player.

Kirsty Wigglesworth/Associated Press

Louis van Gaal was asked about Martial in his post-game MUTV interview (h/t the club's official website):

"

He could have scored in the first half when he was in the same situation, so I told him at half-time to shoot low into the corner—and he did that! It was a fantastic finish. I think he can do much better [in the future] because I see a lot of things that he can still improve and he shall improve. Only by training and by playing can you improve. Also, when you are playing at a higher level then you improve.

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It is intriguing to hear his manager say he had told Martial to aim low into the corner if he was faced with the same situation again. It adds another dimension of cool-headedness to the 20-year-old's decision-making.

It was hardly an atypical finish for the France international, so perhaps it was just a matter of instinct. However, if he was following instructions under those circumstances, it is even more impressive that he did not let a rush of blood to the head make him lose focus.

Even when he is not making the kind of indelible contribution he did on Saturday, Martial often lights up games with his presence, his quickness of feet, his balance and the courage he has to back himself in countless one-against-one—or indeed one-against-two-or-three—moments.

He can beat players for pace, certainly, but he is at his best in close proximity to a defender who is backing off.

He has a predatory instinct when it comes to beating players with the ball at his feet, judging exactly the moment to strike with a sudden explosion of technique in order to fool the defender into thinking the ball is going one way when in fact it, and Martial, have broken beyond and into a dangerous area.

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This is written in the heady aftermath of his impact on an FA Cup semi-final, but even with that caveat, it hardly seems hyperbolic to suggest Martial has shown enough in his slightly less than one full season at United to indicate he has a real chance to become one of the greats. There is a long way to go, but the foundations are clearly being laid.