Gabriel Agbonlahor has made a big claim about Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, a player Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta did not think was good enough to start for the Gunners regularly.
The former Villa striker and talkSPORT pundit has said that Martinez is the best goalkeeper in the world.
So, what has Gabriel Agbonlahor said about former Arsenal goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez? Let’s take a look.
Emiliano Martinez flourishing after Arsenal exit
Well, Emiliano Martinez has gone from strength to strength since leaving Arsenal for Aston Villa in the summer of 2020.
Martinez hardly ever featured for Arsenal until his final season when he got the chance due to an injury to Bernd Leno.
Unfortunately for Martinez, once Leno got fully fit, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta decided to reinstate the German as his number one goalkeeper, who is now at Fulham.
Martinez, who is rated highly by Tottenham Hotspur and Argentina international centre-back Cristian Romero, left for Premier League rivals Villa for £17 million (Sky Sports) in the summer of 2020.
The goalkeeper has flourished since then and is having an amazing career. He won the 2022 Qatar World Cup and the 2021 Copa America with Argentina.
Martinez, who has been compared to Jens Lehmann, was awarded the Yashin Trophy in 2023 and the Best FIFA Goalkeeper in 2022.
Gabriel Agbonlahor gives his verdict on Emiliano Martinez
While many of us would agree that Emiliano Martinez is one of the best goalkeepers on the planet, Gabriel Agbonlahor has claimed that he is the best in the world.
The former Aston Villa striker thinks that the 31-year-old is a world-class goalkeeper and is the best in his position.
Agbonlahor said on talkSPORT when asked if Martinez is the best goalkeeper in the Premier League: “I think he is. People say to me, ‘Why do you say that?’.
“I said, one, he won the best goalkeeper in the world, won the World Cup, won that award, he is the best goalkeeper in the world, it’s not rocket science, he won the World Cup, and his performances at Aston Villa have shown that.
“Some of the saves he makes, I think it was not this game, the game before, he was pinging balls with his left foot straight to Matty Cash at right-back. He is a presence as well. I think he is the best goalkeeper in the world.”
I do not agree with Agbonlahor. Without a doubt, Martinez is a very good goalkeeper, but the likes of Alisson and Ederson are better.
Liverpool’s Alisson and Ederson of Manchester City are the two best goalkeepers in the Premier League.
If you look beyond the Premier League, then Manuel Neuer, Jan Oblak and Thibaut Courtois are just three goalkeepers who are better than Martinez.
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