The West Ham United forward could not get on the score sheet as the under-23s took on Villarreal B this week.
West Ham United striker Toni Martinez would have headed into Wednesday’s International Cup match against Villarreal knowing it was another chance to stake a claim for a first-team spot. So it would have been a bitter blow when the 20-year-old failed to get on the score sheet before being replaced at half-time.
Things could have been very different if the prolific Hammers youngster had prodded home a brilliant Nathan Holland cross just before the break.
However he narrowly missed, and a knock suffered prior to that chance led to Martinez being replaced with West Ham’s under-23s 2-0 down.
It got worse in the second half, with the visitors netting a third and running out comfortable winners, but there are still plenty of reasons to believe Martinez is closing in on a senior chance at the London Stadium.
Prior to this match, the Spaniard had scored an impressive 18 goals in just 20 appearances for West Ham’s second string, and his ability in front of goal is not in question after he also found the net against both Newcastle United and Middlesbrough while on loan at Oxford United last season.
Given his affinity with Spanish football, Martinez would no doubt have wanted to make a statement against Villarreal, having previously come through the ranks at fellow La Liga side Valencia.
And while it was an off-night for the West Ham youngster, his performances since he arrived in England mean Hammers boss Slaven Bilic may be unable to overlook him for much longer.
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