Lisandro Martinez's reunion with Erik ten Hag at Manchester United has worked wonders.
The former Ajax man has seamlessly settled into life at Old Trafford, quickly cementing himself not only in Ten Hag's starting XI, but one of the first names on United's teamsheet. His flourishing partnership with Raphael Varane in central defence has gone from strength to strength, as he quickly adapted to the pace and intensity of the Premier League.
By now we are all familiar with the criticism that faced Martinez on his arrival in England. Standing at just 5ft 9in, the Argentinian is the shortest centre-back in the league. Varane (6ft 3in) is United's second-tallest defender, behind Harry Maguire (6ft 4in) who occupies top spot - both literally and metaphorically.
However, what Martinez lacks in height, he makes up for in almost every other aspect on the pitch. The 24-year-old is tenacious, agile, composed and never gives his opposition a moment of peace when they have the ball.
The warrior spirit that Ten Hag hailed on his arrival has been clear to see, his passion is infectious and simply pours out onto the pitch at times. Martinez has raised United's defence to another level, as his relationship alongside Varane continues to excel.
The Red Devils have kept four clean sheets in the Premier League so far this season, against Leicester, Southampton, Newcastle and most recently Tottenham. During the 2021/22 campaign, United only managed to stop their opponents from scoring against them on eight occasions - only Leicester, Norwich, Leeds and Watford had fewer clean sheets last term.
All four of United's 'shut-outs' in the league so far have come when both Varane and Martinez have completed a full 90 minutes together, showing just how essential they are to Ten Hag's defensive unit. Of course it is a team effort that leads to clean sheets, with Casemiro's role in holding midfield also now taking shape, as the Brazilian starts to flex his muscles, making the position his own.
As a manager, Ten Hag wants his full-backs to be very attacking, aggressive and push high up the pitch. Having a trustworthy defensive partnership allows the likes of Diogo Dalot and (more recently) Luke Shaw to take up higher than average positions when operating in a back-four.
This was shown during the win over Tottenham, where despite the fact Antonio Conte used Ivan Perisic and Matt Doherty as wing-backs, Shaw and Dalot were consistently further forward, with nearly twice as many touches as the Spurs defenders.
The Dutchman's instructions appear to be clicking into place at Old Trafford, as he now has a stable defensive partnership that he can rely on.
United now turn their attentions to a difficult trip to Stamford Bridge, as they look to record their fifth clean sheet in the Premier League - the joint most by any team so far this season.