Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez proved why he’s one of the best in the world in the 0-0 draw against Chelsea.
On Friday night, Aston Villa travelled to Stamford Bridge to take on Chelsea in the FA Cup fourth round.
Unai Emery’s side arrived well rested having last played 12 days ago, playing out a 0-0 draw against Everton in the Premier League.
That should have given Villa the onus in the contest, at least physically, as the Blues were last in action three days ago, booking their place in the Carabao Cup final after thrashing Middlesbrough 6-2 on aggregate.
While Emery’s troops looked to have the edge physically late on in the contest, neither side could find a breakthrough, despite creating numerous opportunities to score.
It could be said that Chelsea had the better of the chances, particularly in the first half, as Villa had Emiliano Martinez to thank for bailing them out on several occasions.
Emiliano Martinez was crucial against Chelsea
After earning a draw at Stamford Bridge, Villa will now welcome the Blues to Villa Park for the replay – and Martinez is a huge reason why.
The Argentinian shot-stopper, who is regarded by many as one of the best goalkeepers on the planet, certainly proved that with his performance here.
In the first half, he denied the hosts on four separate occasions, one of which was a point-blank save to prevent Cole Palmer from breaking the deadlock.
Another saw him get down low to tip a Benoit Badiashile header around the post, displaying his reflexes from close range on the stroke of half-time.
According to Sofascore, Martinez made five saves, three of which were inside the box while winning one ground duel.
That was when he had to bail out Boubacar Kamara, who under-hit his pass and the Villa keeper was forced into slide-tackling Conor Gallagher.
Emiliano Martinez’s ‘outstanding’ form continues
The superlatives to describe Martinez continue to dry up. He was hailed as ‘outstanding’ by the Athletics Jacob Tanswell, however, such praise isn’t surprising anymore.
Emery’s goalkeeper has been incredible for weeks and the match against Chelsea wasn’t the only time he’s bailed out his side this season.
In the 0-0 draw against Everton, he managed to deny Dominic Calvert-Lewin with a world-class save after the striker was played through one-on-one.
That stop was crucial as it helped Villa earn a point and that’s exactly what he’s done tonight.
At times, he looks unbeatable, just like Liverpool’s Alisson Becker, and that’s the hallmark of any world-class keeper.
If he continues to deliver such magnificent displays, he can save Villa so many points between now and the end of the season.
