Andy Gray claimed that Emi Martinez’s positioning for Aston Villa’s goal through Emi Buendia against Everton was ‘unbelievable’, as he told beIN SPORTS.
Usually, when opposing teams have a corner, the goalkeeper on the other side would probably stand outside of his penalty area as the action unfolds.
But Martinez was seen standing on the halfway line, before 5ft 8 Buendia could rise above the giants and nod Villa into the lead.
With Jordan Pickford in between Everton’s sticks, he is known, as he has showcased in England colours, that he is one of the best distributors in world football.
Both Richard Keys and Gray touched upon Pickford’s kicking and how Martinez was taking a risk standing so high up the pitch.
“From this corner, he is good enough to look up and see that,” said Keys. “What’s he doing there on the halfway line?”
Gray added: “He’s good enough to strike the ball. I don’t know (what he is doing). He is taking a chance, isn’t he?
“I have seen them out, maybe halfway between the penalty area and the halfway line.
“But never almost in the halfway line. That’s unbelievable.”
In the end, nothing came of it, as Villa walked away from Goodison Park with all three points, and most importantly, a clean sheet.
Villa, especially during their 2-2 draw against Manchester United, let themselves down with their errors from the back.
But, against an Everton side that sacked Rafa Benitez last week, they held their own, and especially in the second half, weathered the storm.
For Steven Gerrard, it’s now a case of putting out a consistent XI that starts churning out consistent results for the team.
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