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Selling Emiliano Martínez in the summer was not Arsenal’s best transfer decision in recent years. At the time, earning £ 20 million with his reserve keeper seemed to make a lot of sense. But Aston Villa’s No. 1 continues to recast that move as a costly mistake on the Gunners’ part.
Martinez has established himself as the most impressive cap in the Premier League this season. He continued his quest for the number one spot on the Team of the Season, and an unlikely claim for the Gold Glove, with another pivotal performance earning another sheet to nil as Villa battled for a goalless draw with the Wolves.
Both sides could have won this narrow West Midlands derby, with Villa dominating the first half as he hit the wood twice through Oli Watkins and Ezri Konsa. The Wolves, as they do, improved after the break and should have taken the points when Conor Coady hit the post with a point-blank header before Romain Saiss launched the rebound over the bar directly below her.
Coady had another chance to score his second goal of the week with less than a quarter of an hour to go. But the Wolves captain became the latest Premier League star to have his weekend ruined by Martinez.
Emiliano Martínez gets another clean sheet but looks disappointed with the draw pic.twitter.com/9zQdq0naRm
– Daily football (@footballdaily) March 6, 2021
After turning on the edge of the six-yard box, in the center of the goal, Coady took aim at the bottom corner. His first touch was too tight, the finish was not as clean as Coady would have wished, but it would still have been enough to get past most goalkeepers.
Martinez no. The Argentine readjusted his feet to extend his enormous figure, deflecting the ball from its course towards the net with his enormous left foot.
Coady could hardly believe it while Konsa and Tyrone Mings were equally stunned. The center-backs made sure to thank Martinez for rescuing the Villans once again.
READ MORE: Martínez: Arsenal didn’t ‘trust me’ to succeed
His defensive upgrade has been one of the most impressive feats of this insane Premier League season. Only Manchester City have kept more clean sheets than Villa this season, which is staggering considering how porous they were last term, when they were kept awake by the skin on their teeth.
Matty Cash has been very impressive, but Martinez is the most tangible difference, playing behind the same center-backs who managed only half a clean sheet last season who already racked up this period.
Despite keeping a clean sheet more than anyone but the runaway leaders, Villa has allowed 117 shots on goal; only six clubs have yielded more. But Martinez has built his reputation with a high Premier League save percentage of 78.6 percent.
More impressive still, Martinez also leads the league for challenging expected goals. Villa has conceded 27 goals, while the xG models suggest they should have let 34 in.
Early loser: Arsenal, Leno and Xhaka full of mistakes
Bernd Leno is also performing positively on that metric and the goalkeeper Arsenal put their faith in on Martinez is hardly having a bad season. But his role in Burnley’s draw at Turf Moor today, along with Martinez preserving more points for Villa, only heightens the scrutiny around Mikel Arteta’s big decision.
Leno is an established German international and in the summer, when Martínez was looking for ‘guarantees’ about playing time, Manuel Neuer’s backup was arguably the safest bet, despite Martinez’s good form, while the Gunners goalkeeper was injured late last season.
But, against the advice of his familyMartínez decided to seek a future away from the club where he spent a decade waiting for his opportunity. The move is paying off for the 28-year-old. But Villa is reaping the biggest benefits of all.
Ian Watson
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