Both men started the narrow 1-0 win over Young Boys on Tuesday and, though the duo were not at their fluent best, it was the eighth occasion in United’s last nine games when they have been together on the left from kick-off. Had it not been for Shaw’s suspension against Crystal Palace – following a fifth yellow card of the season in the Manchester derby – they could have been heading to Southampton this weekend with the prospect of a tenth consecutive pairing.
In contrast, the combination was deployed in just nine of the final 25 games in the Reds’ 2017/18 season, with the manager demanding increased ‘stability’ in Shaw’s performances and asking for
“more of the things I like”
from Martial.