Arsenal goalkeeper Mat Ryan has praised Aston Villa custodian Emiliano Martinez on the club’s official website.
Ryan, who made his debut for Arsenal against Villa away from home at Villa Park in the Premier League on Saturday, noted that Martinez made some good saves, as Dean Smith’s side won 1-0.
The Australian told Arsenal’s official website: “We were probing and pushing but the ball just wasn’t falling for us at the end.
“Emi made a couple of blocks and interventions, I tried to play my part at the other end but unfortunately I wasn’t able to contribute to the result.”
How did Emiliano Martinez play?
Martinez joined Villa from Arsenal in the summer of 2020 for a transfer fee reported by The Guardian to be worth £20 million and has been superb for the Villans so far this season.
True, the Argentine goalkeeper made a couple of mistakes against West Ham United in midweek, but he bounced back well against Arsenal on Saturday and played an important role in the home team picking up all three points from the encounter.
The 28-year-old denied Bukayo Saka, Granit Xhaka, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Nicolas Pepe and simply looked unbeatable in front of goal.
Villa are having a wonderful season in the Premier League and are in the running for the European places.
For Smith’s team to end up in the top six, Martinez will have to be on top of his game throughout.
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