Edinson Cavani vs Anthony Martial: who will start against Arsenal?

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It went so well for Manchester United.

The game was fluent, the games were won with vigor and enthusiasm, and cylinders were fired in all sections of the field. Reigning champions Liverpool were nearly beaten at Anfield before being kicked out of the cup just a week later.

And then, in this most bizarre season in the Premier League, United got a sledgehammer when they lost to Sheffield United at home.

It gave Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and his side a sharp, sobering perspective.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will consider who should start from Edinson Cavani and Anthony Martial

Now the United boss has to make some important decisions and make them quickly. His side will need to recover quickly before facing a side from Arsenal they have already beaten this season.

Solskjaer has to use his XI the hardest, which begs a very interesting and now rather nagging question; Edinson Cavani or Anthony Martial?

The latter started the early part of the season in splendid shape but the arrival of veteran Cavani has started his phase and looks like he means business.

Solskjaer had done a good balancing act between the two of them, but now it’s time to make a call. United’s preferred system dictates that only one can realistically face the Gunners in north London.

So who is it? Cavani vs. Martial: Sportsmail dig deeper into the numbers to find out.

Manchester United have to start shooting again and the system determines that only one can start

Experience

When it comes down to it, there is only one winner in this category.

Cavani was around the block and saw it all.

This shouldn’t discredit Martial, who has made steady progress in the Premier League over the past few years and brought some brilliant moments along the way.

However, for now, with the current United team doing above average against their original expectations at the start of the season, older minds are badly needed to keep things in order and prevent rogue defeats from turning into something much more.

Cavani has vast experience and has shown it in the way he has settled in on United’s team

Cavani has only started four of his 13 league games for his new club so far. But each time the Uruguayan seems to add something different to the game. He shows a remarkable ability to evaluate the game from the sideline and determine what the team will ask of him.

Against Liverpool, Cavani identified a less used area in the recent FA Cup victory in the last third and immediately after its introduction began to occupy it.

This in turn brought the Liverpool line a little higher and out of their current comfort zone, which gave Marcus Rashford the opportunity to chase after them. Cavani almost won the match himself, with a header against the post; a train originally created by its earlier movement.

Efficiency

The experience is fine and good, but who actually puts the ball in the net and gets things done?

Cavani’s transformative arrival against Southampton in November showed exactly what he is about.

When Cavani got down 2-1, he made the right runs and found all the space necessary to score two crucial goals and win the game – the final goal in the 92nd minute.

Such outsider appearances are less visible at Martial.

Martial has the spark to bring games to life, but lags behind Cavani in terms of efficiency

The Frenchman has three league games more than Cavani and ten more starts despite having scored two fewer goals (just two total).

Cavani – eight years older than Martial – has already scored four league goals despite only having 530 minutes on the football field. In contrast, Martial had 1,152.

Despite all of his contributions in the final third, especially when he pushes defenders back and allows Bruno Fernandes and Rashford to attack space, goals still remain a part of Martial’s game that is missing.

Now that United are desperate to reclaim a cold blooded winning streak, Solskjaer is likely to take a look at Cavani’s direction.

The creator

Whenever a manager plays a front 3 or an unconventional line of scrimmage that differs from a standard pairing, he must always consider what each of his stars brings to the table.

It is similar with Liverpool and Jürgen Klopp’s admiration for Roberto Firmino, although the Brazilian does not meet all the criteria one would expect from an orthodox striker.

This is where Martial comes into play for Solskjaer and one of the main reasons the Norwegian loves having him on the team.

While mostly a goal threat and terrifying defenders with a sharp pace and decent footwork, Martial also has the ability to put things into action.

Martial’s broad skills prove to be a valuable asset as the French are able to put things into action

The 25-year-old has three templates for his name and has created 13 key chances in his 16 league games so far, with an average of one key chance per game.

It’s a strong stat, especially considering how commanding United have been in front of goal lately.

In contrast, Cavani has two assists and four chances – an average of 0.7 per game, considering he has played fewer games.

Martial is the most standout in this regard, but this again shows just how much Cavani brings to the table.

He is already better than his teammate and has registered two assists from the bench despite the vast majority of his games.

Reckless edge

Regardless of anything else, a striker must first and foremost be ruthless.

Martial can’t really keep up in this category.

Cavani has scored goals in Italy, France and throughout the Champions League. He knows for sure where the back of the net is and it shows up.

According to the current rating, Cavani scores a goal for United every 133 minutes. It could be assumed that this will only improve if the player reaches full match fitness.

Meanwhile, Martial finds the back of the web every 576 minutes.

When it comes to shots, Martial has scored a total of 33 in the top division this season, averaging 2.6 per 90 minutes.