Before Manchester United’s visit, manager of Manchester City Pep Guardiola praised defender Lisandro Martinez and addressed the discussion surrounding the defender’s height......READ THE FULL ARTICLE>>>
According to some, the Argentine’s height of 5 feet 9 inches will present difficulties when matched up with 6 feet 4 inch City striker Erling Haaland, who is currently on fire.
Jamie Carragher, who instructed Martinez to “stay away” from Haaland during Sunday’s match, is one of many who is alarmed by the disparity in height.
The City striker scored for Norway against Slovenia during the break and has 14 goals in nine Blues appearances. Although he has only scored twice on headers, some believe that his sheer physicality will be too much for the United defense to handle.
Guardiola acknowledged the height gap between Haaland and Martinez during the press conference on Friday before the Manchester derby but would not elaborate. Instead, he praised the summer signing for United for his qualities.
In a statement, Guardiola said: “Erling is taller, that’s for sure. I like when people underestimate players for the size,” he said. “He can tell them I’m here and a good player.
“He’s a fantastic player, aggressive, good build up. United paid this money, Erik [ten Hag] knows him. It’s not the first time he’s played against taller strikers, he handles it. [It’s] important to be intelligent, brave. The crosses, Erling is taller, we see what happens.”
