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Unai Emery has heaped praise on Aston Villa and former Arsenal goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez.
Martinez won the Golden Glove at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, helping Argentina win the trophy by saving two penalties against France in the shootout. He recently helped Aston Villa in a similar way in the UEFA Europa Conference League quarter-finals against LOSC Lille. He saved two penalties in the shootout to help his side reach the semi-finals.
Villa will next host Bournemouth in the Premier League on Sunday, April 21. In a pre-match press conference, Unai Emery hailed Martinez as the best goalkeeper in the world, saying (via The Boot Room):
“He is being successful individually and with both Argentina and Villa. Having been successful with Argentina, he is progressively getting better with Villa.
“He is decisive in a lot of matches and of course, he is one of the best goalkeepers. The first, second, third? For me, he is the best.”
Martinez joined Arsenal's reserve side from Argentine side Club Atletico Independiente in 2010. He came through their ranks but made just 38 senior appearances for the Gunners, spending most of his time out on loan.
The north London side then sold Martinez to Aston Villa in 2020 after Mikel Arteta's arrival and he has kept 53 clean sheets in 155 games for them. He also kept a clean sheet in their 2-0 win against Arsenal at the Emirates last week.
Emi Martinez expresses his love for Arsenal after Aston Villa win
The Gunners were dealt a major blow in their Premier League title hopes as they lost 2-0 against Aston Villa at home on April 14. Emi Martinez was excellent in the game, making four saves and completing 42/56 passes.
After the match, the 31-year-old spoke about his time at the Emirates and expressed his love for the club, saying (via Mirror):
“I came to Arsenal as a lad and left a man. I'll always love this club. They are still second, they've come far and have one of the best managers in the world. I've worked with Mikel [Arteta]. I know how good he is."
Martinez kept 16 clean sheets in his 38 appearances for the Gunners.
Arsenal are second in the Premier League standings, two points behind leaders Manchester City with six games remaining. Villa, meanwhile, are engaged in a top-four race with Tottenham Hotspur. They sit fourth, three points above Spurs, who have a game in hand.
