Shay Given has heaped praise on Aston Villa goalkeeper Emi Martinez after a “phenomenal” moment in Sunday’s win at Arsenal. The Argentina No. 1 had a fairly quiet afternoon as a misfiring Gunners side received a huge dent in their Premier League title hopes, losing 2-0 at the Emirates.
Emi Martinez will always love Arsenal
Martinez will be thrilled to depart with all three points and a clean sheet, even though he hasn’t had the greatest of experiences since returning to Arsenal in recent years.
Martinez maintained that he will “always love this club” in spite of a number of dubious remarks made after his £17 million transfer from Arsenal to Aston Villa in 2020.
“As a young guy, I came here and left a man. I will always be a fan of this club.
“I know how good Mikel [Arteta] is because I’ve worked with him.”
Martinez received special recognition for Unai Emery’s team’s strong defensive effort, which was particularly evident in the second half.
In the first half, the 31-year-old made an incredible stop to keep Leandro Trossard at bay with a close-range shot. Though it was a fantastic save, the striker for Arsenal needed to score. A sitter was present.
Given, a former goalie for Newcastle, Aston Villa, and the Gunners, has been hailed as “one of the best goalkeepers in the world” for his “phenomenal” save, which came back to haunt the team.
“I think they got past Diego Carlos once, and for that, they should be grateful to Emi Martinez,” he remarked.
“What a fantastic save, [Ezri] On this instance, Konsa ought to select Trossard; however, keep an eye out for a save.
“You have one of the best goalkeepers in the world, a real World Cup winner—you can see his celebration there (after the save). What a fantastic save.”
“This angle from behind the goal is absolutely magical; you know, you practice these drills and exercises all the time in training, you spin off the post and maybe you get that save.”
