Lisandro Martinez names Arsenal star as his 'toughest opponent', it's not Saka

Manchester United’s Lisandro Martinez named Arsenal striker Gabriel Jesus as his toughest opponent.

The United centre-back has been key to United’s transformation under Erik ten Hag this season.

Pundits and fans alike were fixated on the Argentine's diminutive 5ft 9inch frame when United agreed to pay Ajax £57million for the defender last summer.

Yet after a difficult start to life at Old Trafford, which included a humbling opening-day defeat to Brighton and a humiliating 4-0 loss to Brentford the following week, United and Martinez began to find their feet.

United are now third in the Premier League, within touching distance of Arsenal at the summit, while they are still competing in all three of their cup competitions.

Martinez names his toughest opponent

After an accomplished campaign in England, Martinez names his toughest opponent in the Premier League.

Speaking to the Telegraph the United centre-back claimed Arsenal’s £45million summer signing Jesus was his toughest opponent.

The Brazilian hit the ground running at the start of this season, scoring five goals and providing three assists in his first nine games for the north London side.

However, Jesus has not featured for Arsenal since November after suffering a serious knee injury while at the World Cup in Qatar.

Earlier this week Football London claimed Jesus is due to return to action in March.

Meanwhile, Mikel Arteta provided a positive update on the striker’s progress in Friday’s press conference,

The Arsenal boss said: “He’s progressing really well. He’s doing more and more on the field and he’s not reacting [negatively], so that’s really positive.

“We want to have him as quickly as possible but also respect the timeframe we got from the doctor and the specialists. He’s really pushing the boundaries right now.”