Wolverhampton Wanderers boss Nuno Espirito Santo felt Emi Martinez was the difference during Aston Villa’s 1-0 win at Molineux on Saturday, as he told the club’s official website.
While Anwar El Ghazi might have hogged the headlines thanks to his crucial, stoppage-time spot-kick at the home of their Midland rivals, the visitors were indebted to a Man of the Match performance from the man at the other end of the pitch.
At £20 million, Martinez has been one of the best pound-for-pound signings made by any Premier League team in recent times, and the former Arsenal stopper once again made his price-tag look a bargain in Wolverhampton.
Martinez made seven saves during Saturday’s early kick off, denying Leander Dendoncker twice from close range while brilliantly keeping out a dipping Daniel Podence effort as Villa held firm before El Ghazi’s dramatic winner.
While Nuno paid tribute to the Argentine’s inspired performance between the sticks, he has implored a Wolves side now mired in 13th place to improve in front of goal.
“It’s something that we have to do as a team, find solutions, but now let’s work and improve on the final touch so we can put the ball inside of the goal,” Nuno said.
“But sometimes the goalkeeper makes good saves, like the Villa goalkeeper did today. I think he was one of the best players on the pitch today, but that says a lot about the situations and what we have to improve.
“There’s a lot of things that we have to improve, but the most difficult thing is the goal. Sometimes it has to be perfect to achieve, but you have to keep on insisting and believing, and this is what we’re going to do.”
Of course, the absence of Raul Jimenez doesn’t help.
Wolves’ talismanic striker is sidelined with a fractured skull and, despite the best efforts of 18-year-old record signing Fabio Silva, the Black Country giants have failed to score in their last two games now.
A solution must be found – either internally or in the January window – with Jimenez out for the long term.
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