On Wednesday, Emiliano Martinez made a triumphant return to the pitch, as he played goalie for Aston Villa in the 19th round of the Premier League. His team, guided by Unai Emery, held their own and finished the game with a 1-1 tie against Wolverhampton.
Martinez was greeted with a warm reception when he showed up to begin warming up, wearing his World Cup medal and the Gold Glove he earned in Qatar. Despite his top-notch display, he did not receive any additional recognition, leaving many people to question the decision.
The International Federation of Football History and Statistics (IFHHS) has declared Belgian Thibaut Courtois the Men’s World’s Best Goalkeeper of 2021, with a close win of 125 points, a mere 15 more than his rival, Argentinian Emiliano Martinez. The latter, who finished the year in second place on the IFFHS rankings, earned 110 points. Moroccan Yassine Bounou of Sevilla Football Club was the third-place finisher with 55 points.
🟣 #WelcomeEmi 🟣
Introducing our new goalkeeper: @EmiMartinezz1! 🙌 pic.twitter.com/ZWTVEEHhXr
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) September 16, 2020
Martinez had not had an outstanding tournament, but he still managed to help his team to victory in the penalty shootout against the Netherlands in the quarterfinals. In the final against France, the score was 3-3 when Martinez made an exceptional save from Randal Kolo Muani, keeping the game level.
He then repeated his performance in the penalty shootout and was rewarded with the award for the best goalkeeper of the tournament for his efforts, outshining other outstanding players.
Unai Emery makes Emi Martinez vow ahead of Aston Villa vs Wolves
Unai Emery has revealed that Emi Martinez is now prepared to reclaim his spot as the starting goalkeeper for Aston Villa in their Premier League game against Wolves. Martinez rejoined the team at Bodymoor Heath last week, coming back from his extended leave after Argentina’s World Cup win. Although he was placed on the bench for their 2-0 victory over Tottenham, he is now ready to reclaim his spot in the first team.
Dibu. 👑 pic.twitter.com/wYinYsyLg8
— Aston Villa (@AVFCOfficial) October 15, 2021
It looks like Martinez will be back in goal for the upcoming match against Wolves on Wednesday. Robin Olsen has been filling in for him in the last two games, and the 30-year-old is anticipating a friendly welcome when he returns to Villa Park.
Since joining Aston Villa from Arsenal in the summer of 2020, Martinez has been a key member of the team and has been an even more important part of Argentina’s squad, helping them to a World Cup victory. His return will be a huge benefit for the Villans as they look to improve their position in the standings during the latter half of the season, having only won one and lost one of their Premier League matches since the World Cup break.
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