Ray Parlour told Drive on talkSPORT that Arsenal fans might be questioning why they sold Emiliano Martinez after his ‘absoutley brilliant’ season for Aston Villa.
The Highbury legend shared that Martinez produced four ‘world-class’ saves at the weekend as Aston Villa recorded a pretty fortunate goalless draw against Brighton.
At this moment in time, Martinez’s decision to swap Arsenal for Villa Park is paying off, as he is hoping his side can secure European football at the end of the season.
Nonetheless, Parlour shared his thoughts on Martinez’s recent performance and Arsenal’s decision to part ways with him in the summer.
“I think he has been an absoutley brilliant signing for Aston Villa,” said Parlour. “When they played Brighton, the other night, he was sensational.
“Three or four world-class saves to keep them in the game. Since he signed from Arsenal, he had that brilliant end to the season, played in the FA Cup final and played really well.
“Then got a move to Aston Villa because he wanted to be number one. I don’t think any Aston Villa fan would think he’s done this well because he has been an absolute snip for £20 million.
“You talk about strikers winning you games. But goalkeepers are so important if you want to be successful. He’s getting better and better – he has everything.
“I am sure a lot of Arsenal fans out there will be saying ‘why didn’t we keep him?’ ‘Have we picked the right keeper?’. I love Leno as well. I think he’s top-class as well.”
In truth, Martinez made the right call to leave the Emirates because if he was still there, he would still be number two behind Leno in the Premier League.
And whilst Arsenal have had their problems on the field of play this season, Leno continues to be a consistent performer and someone who deserves better than the rubbish the North London side have dished out during this campaign.
But with Aston Villa chasing Europe, and Mikel Arteta’s side behind them, it will be interesting to see how the second half of this season pans out.
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