Aston Villa manager, Unai Emery has made a huge statement about his goalkeeper, Emi Martinez following the 1-0 win over Arsenal.
It was another huge night for Aston Villa last night as they secured yet another win over one of the elite Premier League sides.
Following the 1-0 win over Manchester City, Arsenal travelled to Villa Park and the home side took a record-breaking three points.
It was a change in tact for Unai Emery but it worked and reduced the Gunners to few chances other than a handball goal by Kai Havertz.
With that being said, they weren’t without efforts on goal but as a general rule, the defence, especially Diego Carlos, was superb.
The Villa boss has picked out one man for praise following his performance on the night…
What has Unai Emery said about Emi Martinez?
It was yet another great performance from Emi Martinez who has maintained his top form in recent weeks to keep back-to-back clean sheets.
The defence in front of him has been great and didn’t allow the Gunners or City much time or space. With that being said, Martinez made many world-class saves. From the Erling Haaland double save to the close-range effort from Martin Odegaard, the Argentine wasn’t to be beaten.
With that being said, his manager has singled him out amongst the whole team despite the amazing performances. Discussing Martinez, transcribed by The Metro, Emery said: “Happy, I’m very happy. It was a tough match and we were tired, but we started the game well. They were imposing their position on the pitch, but our goalkeeper was amazing.”
Against Arsenal, Martinez faced 0.78 xG and was forced into making 3 saves on the night. On top of that, against City, he only faced two shots but kept out an xG of 0.81 from Haaland at Villa Park. This is all according to FotMob who awarded him with Man of the Match last night.
The Argentine has been one of the most consistent players in the Villa squad and has gone from strength to strength under Emery. Many players have been improved but Martinez’s rise in form and worldwide reputation has been clear for all to see.
He will be very glad to have secured two clean sheets in the past two games, especially against such great opposition. To receive such high praise from his manager will mean a lot and long may his superb form continue.
