Emiliano Martinez, the Argentine shot-stopper, rose to fame following his heroic displays in Argentina’s triumph at the Qatar World Cup in 2022. The former Arsenal keeper played an instrumental role under Argentine coach Lionel Scaloni, and his form has brought luck to his club, Aston Villa, as well.
The 2022 World Cup Golden Glove winner has played a pivotal role in Aston Villa’s two successive upsets against the Premier League champions and runners-up from last season. Following this, Martinez made some very bold claims as Aston Villa climbed to third place in the Premier League table.
Emiliano Martinez drops bold claim after huge victories
Aston Villa’s home ground, Villa Park, has witnessed two stunning fixtures, delivering a powerful statement with two successive wins over the two strongest sides in the league, the treble-winning Manchester City and the Mikel Arteta-led Arsenal, respectively.
The World Cup-winning keepers stood strong, creating ample nuisance for both City and Arsenal’s attacks. He denied them any opportunity to get past him, keeping two consecutive clean sheets and emerging as one of the key players for Emery.
Martinez delivered a solid performance against his former team, helping his side secure all three points. Post-match, the 31-year-old shared his thoughts on the recent win.
He said, “Yeah, yeah, of course [we’re in the title race],” he said. “When you beat City and Arsenal in a week, one game controlling them like I’ve never seen Man City being controlled, then suffering against Arsenal for 85 minutes and managing to win again…. I’m a believer, mate.”
Additionally, the keeper extended his celebration to social media, where he posted clicks from the clashes and penned down a caption saying, “We’re not just here to take part,” making it clear that they are here to challenge their fellow clubs for the Premier League title.
Aston Villa’s red-hot form continues
Unai Emery’s appointment as manager in November 2022 proved to be a monumental turning point for Aston Villa. After a 7th-place finish last season, they are now on the way to earn a spot in the UEFA Europa League this season.
However, this time they are aiming for a top-4 finish or even first place, given the impressive form they are in; it seems quite achievable for the Birmingham-based club. The Villains are currently reveling in their club-record 15th straight home league victory streak.
As a result, they have accumulated more points than the Champions, Manchester City, currently ranking third only behind Arsenal and Liverpool with a 2-point gap from the table toppers. In the upcoming midweek fixture, they face Zrinjski in the Conference League before preparing for Brentford to continue their impressive home form in the away clash.
Where will Aston Villa finish this season? Make sure to drop your predictions in the comments.
