Lisandro Martinez was ‘another one of those buys’ that failed, claims Man Utd cult hero

A Manchester United cult hero pulled no punches towards Lisandro Martinez after the Red Devils defender’s performance against Chelsea on Saturday afternoon.

Lisandro Martinez was sent off in the second half of Manchester United’s 2-0 defeat to Chelsea after the Red Devils were only trailing 1-0 at the time in the match.

The 28-year-old Argentine received the first booking in Saturday’s Premier League clash after he tried to pull Morgan Rogers down in a challenge in the 59th minute.

Martinez then found himself in hot water only four minutes later after the defender’s high arm caught Chelsea’s Wesley Fofana inside the United box at Stamford Bridge.

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Former Man Utd star Gordon Hill slams Lisandro Martinez’s time at Old Trafford after the Chelsea defeat

VAR intervened in the second half and Premier League referee Peter Bankes reviewed the incident with Lisandro Martinez and Wesley Fofana. Peter Bankes then awarded Chelsea a penalty against Manchester United and brandished a second yellow card for Martinez.

Morgan Rogers had opened the scoring for Chelsea in the 50th minute before Cole Palmer doubled the Blues’ lead in the 64th minute from the spot-kick. Following United’s 2-0 Premier League defeat at the weekend, Gordon Hill put Martinez on full blast for his costly actions in the match.

The 72-year-old former Man Utd and England winger took to social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, and insisted that Martinez was an investment that did not pay off for the Red Devils.

“Martinez would be gone; he is a liability, another one of those buys that has not worked out,” Gordon Hill tweeted.

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Martinez has been widely admired for his defensive input when he has been in form, but the former Ajax star has struggled to be influential in his role in the 2026-27 season. The 2022 World Cup winner’s spell at Old Trafford has been inconsistent because of injuries curtailing his momentum in the United starting XI.

MUTV pundit Sammy McIlroy was critical of Martinez after the Chelsea match and suggested that the Argentina international was right to be sent off at the weekend.

“I’ve got to say, I think he deserved it,” he said on MUTV.

“Can’t complain about that. Lisandro Martinez, he didn’t even look as if he was looking at the ball when he got that challenge in against Wesley Fofana.”

Martinez is eligible to feature in United’s upcoming Champions League clash against Roma at Old Trafford on Tuesday evening. However, the Red Devils centre-back will miss next Sunday’s Premier League clash against Aston Villa at Old Trafford after his red card from the Chelsea match.