da doce： Aston Villa lost for the third match in succession last weekend as they were beaten 4-2 by table-topping Arsenal in the Premier League on Saturday.
da 888： The Villans came into the match off the back of defeats to Leicester and Manchester City and made a brilliant start to the game as they led 1-0 and 2-1, only for the away side to rally in the second half.
How did Emi Martinez perform against Arsenal?
One player who came under fire for his role in Arsenal’s comeback was goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez. The Argentina international’s time-wasting tactics throughout the match led to eight minutes of stoppage time, which allowed the visitors to score twice in that added-on period.
Jorginho put the Gunners put 3-2 up in the 93rd minute as his terrific strike from distance cannoned back off the crossbar and went in off Martinez’s head, before the Villa giant decided to come up for a corner and Mikel Arteta’s side countered to leave Gabriel Martinelli with an open goal to make it 4-2.
Unai Emery must now ruthlessly cash in on the former Arsenal goalkeeper, whose role in the defeat last weekend and his form throughout the campaign suggests that Villa could benefit from raking in a big transfer fee for him this summer.
The 51-year-old was not happy with the shot-stopper’s role in the fourth Arsenal goal on Saturday and made it clear that it was not his plan, saying: “He decided in the last action to go to the corner offensively, but I don’t like it.
“But I told him nothing, before or after because in all my career I have never told our goalkeepers to do it and the statistical data is going against the teams that are going with the goalkeeper more than scoring any goals.”
Speaking on Match of the Day, the Villa manager added: “Today, I am very, very disappointed. I am embarrassed about the last goal. I have never told my ‘keeper to go forward. It’s not the spirit. We have to keep our mind clear and be smart.”
Emery must now ruthlessly ditch the colossal 6 foot 5 goalkeeper, as the reported transfer interest in the Argentine’s services could allow the club to cash in on him and reinvest it in multiple positions.
Martinez, who was affectionately dubbed a “mad man” and “one of my favourite players” by journalist Callum Altimas following his antics with the World Cup Golden Glove trophy, is reportedly being eyed by Inter, Juventus and Atletico Madrid, and a potential price tag of £40m has been mentioned.
Since the start of last season, the 30-year-old has conceded five more goals than the average goalkeeper would be expected to from the post-shot xG he has faced in the Premier League, allowing 2.1 more than expected this term after letting in 3.9 more in the 2021/22 campaign.
These statistics indicate that the Argentine monster is a below-average shot-stopper, although he does rank in the top 1% of goalkeepers in Europe’s main five leagues for the percentage of crosses stopped over the last 365 days, and Villa could find an upgrade on him with the £40m fee they could rake in for his services.
Factoring in Martinez’s time-wasting antics, his decision to go against his manager’s wishes against Arsenal, and his disappointing shot-stopping statistics, Emery must capitalise on the interest in the goalkeeper and cash in on him this summer.