Rashford reacts to top scorer battle with Martial at Man Utd as Frenchman edges ahead

Marcus Rashford says his battle with Anthony Martial to be Manchester United’s top scorer for 2019-20 remains a friendly rivalry.

Two highly-rated frontmen have delivered on a consistent basis for the Red Devils this season.

Both have posted personal bests in terms of goals, with individual bars being raised as United have enjoyed a welcome upturn in fortune as a collective.

Academy graduate Rashford has been on an upward curve for some time, with the England international now 22 years of age and no longer a fresh-faced rookie.

He has found the target on 22 occasions through 42 appearances in the current campaign.

It appeared at one stage as though injury would bring his season to a premature conclusion, but a coronavirus-enforced break ended up working in his favour.

Rashford has returned to the fold alongside Martial and helped United to a third-place finish in the Premier League and the quarter-finals of the Europa League – where they will meet FC Copenhagen.

He has three goals since the restart, but none in his last three outings.

France international Martial took in a similar run before netting the winner in a continental clash with LASK last time out, with that effort taking him to 23 for the season.

He now leads an in-house Golden Boot race at Old Trafford, but Rashford insists collective success – rather than individual acclaim – remains the focus of everyone on United’s books.

“Tony wins, I win, we all win. That’s my guy,” Rashford posted on social media.

Rashford and Martial have not been the only success stories for United in 2019-20, with Mason Greenwood also joining the attacking party.

The talented teenager has enjoyed a breakthrough year and grabbed 17 goals of his own.

A collective return of 62 efforts from his front three means that Red Devils boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer now boasts one of the most devastating front lines in Europe.

Liverpool’s fearsome trident of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino are considered to sit towards the top of that pile, but Rashford, Martial and Greenwood have registered five goals more than a rival unit at Anfield.