The £36m Frenchman seems to have bypassed the obstacle that is Alexis Sánchez and finally seems to be listening to the powers that be at Old Trafford Whether the comeback against Newcastle United turned around Manchester United's season remains to be seen but it certainly woke up Anthony Martial
His goal in that game was the first in the league since January – since Alexis Sánchez joined the club
He followed it with two against Chelsea plus a match‑winning performance here that included winning a penalty and scoring a sumptuous goal
And just as significant, from José Mourinho's point of view, was his work-rate.There was a moment in injury time, as Séamus Coleman surged forward on the break, when Mourinho charged to the touchline, so rapidly that at first it seemed he might be about to dart on and trip the full-back himself, as he once did in a charity game
This time, though, he stopped on the line and pumped his fists, urging Martial to chase back, which he did to earn a round of applause from his manager
The 22-year-old, perhaps, is finally becoming a Mourinho player and some warmth has entered their relationship
"He's improving his way of thinking football, thinking training, thinking his role in the team," Mourinho said
"I'm really happy with him." Idrissa Gueye, perhaps, was unfortunate that his tackle on Martial as he skittered into the box after 27 minutes was deemed a foul – replays suggested he had prodded the ball away before Martial fell over him – but while Everton may rightly feel aggrieved over that, it does not detract from the impact Martial made
His run was dangerous and drew a risky challenge in the box.Almost everything positive United had produced from an attacking point of view to that point had come through Martial
There had been a clipped cross to Juan Mata and then a snap shot that Jordan Pickford beat away
After the penalty, there was a clever cut-back to Paul Pogba that forced Pickford into another save
Coleman never looked happy against his whirring feet, scuttling in on the diagonal, able to go either way
Martial's involvement in the first goal perhaps came with a question, but his second was the result of the purest of strikes
In space just outside the box to the left, he shaped his shot with some power round Pickford's dive and inside a post, one of those shots that was obviously in from the moment it left his foot
Whether he should have been in such space was another matter.Theo Walcott's reluctance to track back was in obvious contrast to Martial's application
Martial's form does, though, raise the question even more loudly of just why United signed Sánchez
It was, in retrospect, a signing that brought in, on significant wages, a jaded player who had little clear role in the side, unbalancing the squad and blocking the progress of the £36m Martial who, while still not the finished article, now looks probably the best-value signing of the post-Ferguson era
Had Mourinho had his way, Martial would have left the club in the summer – his contract expires next June – but to dwell too much on that perhaps would be churlish
Mourinho is not the sole reason, probably not even the major reason, that United's transfer policy is a mess and his tough love seems in that instance at least to be bearing fruit
It was only three months ago that Mourinho was criticising Martial for neglecting United's preseason tour of the US to spend time with his new‑born daughter
It was only last month that the manager was criticising Martial's work‑rate against West Ham, passive‑aggressively pointing out that people had been calling for him to start ahead of Sánchez
"Look," he seemed to be saying, "I've done what you asked and we've lost 3-1." Four goals in three games, though, suggests what Martial is capable of when he is confident and playing well
The questions now are twofold: can he do it consistently, and where will he be doing it next season?
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