Lisandro Martinez Ties Club Record with Third Own Goal

The ball hits the back of the net with a thud that seems to echo louder than the crowd's groan. Lisandro Martinez stands frozen in the penalty box, his boots still planted in the turf of Craven Cottage. It is the 89th minute, a moment that should belong to Matheus Cunha’s late strike, yet the Argentine defender’s name is the one etched into the statistics. This is not a moment of glory. It is a cold, heavy reality that settles over Old Trafford’s anxious fans.

Manchester United escaped a third straight defeat, but the victory feels hollow. The draw against Fulham on Sunday, September 20, leaves the club in 12th place, a stark contrast to their third-place finish last season. Martinez’s error is not just a tactical lapse; it is a statistical milestone. He has now scored three own goals in the Premier League since joining the club in 2022, a figure that ties a record shared by a handful of former players.

A heavy burden in the record books

The list of players who share this unwanted distinction is a roll call of veterans. Jonny Evans, Henning Berg, Wes Brown, and John O'Shea all sit in the same statistical bracket. For Martinez, the pressure is acute. He is not just a defender; he is a central figure in a squad struggling to find its rhythm. His contract expires at the end of this season, adding a layer of uncertainty to every touch. The club’s ownership, INEOS, faces a difficult decision in the coming months, weighing his defensive frailties against his ball-playing vision.

The season has been a study in contrasts for the Argentine. After helping Argentina reach the 2026 FIFA World Cup final, he returned to a Premier League campaign that has been anything but smooth. United have managed just one win in five league games. The defense, which should be a bastion, has leaked goals with an alarming frequency. Martinez’s own goals come against Tottenham and Arsenal, high-profile matches where the stakes were high and the margin for error was nonexistent.

Inconsistent form shadows the squad

There were flashes of brilliance earlier in the campaign. In the Champions League, Martinez scored his first-ever goal in the competition during a 4-0 rout of Sabah. That performance suggested a player in command, comfortable on the ball and confident in his positioning. But the Premier League has a different texture, a different intensity. The Fulham match exposed the fragility in United’s structure. When the pressure rises, the mistakes multiply. The frustration of the supporters is palpable, a tension that hangs in the air of the stadium.

The club’s trajectory is worrying. A third defeat would have been a crisis. Instead, a point was salvaged by Cunha, but the underlying issues remain. Martinez is not alone in his struggles, but his record is a symbol of the team’s broader inability to secure results. As the season progresses, the pressure will only intensify. For now, he is a footnote in a record book he would prefer to erase. The next time the ball crosses his path, the weight of that expectation will be heavier than before.

Uncertain future for the Argentine

The decision facing United’s management is not just about one match. It is about the direction of the club. Martinez’s talent is undeniable, but his consistency is questionable. The club has invested heavily in his potential, yet the returns have been mixed. As the season moves toward its end, the question of his future will dominate the discourse. Will he stay, or will he walk? The answer will shape the team’s defensive core for years to come. For now, the record stands, a cold fact in a hot season.