I was one of the Arsenal fans who were not so confident that Emiliano Martinez would be able to fill the shoes of Bernd Leno when the German got injured against Brighton.
The Argentinean did have a good season on loan at Reading last time out, and that is one reason why he was brought back as our second choice this season.
However, he hasn’t really been tested at the Premier League level. That was one reason why I doubted that he would be as reliable as what we needed.
After his first few games for the club, I have to admit that he has surpassed my expectations, and I genuinely underrated him.
Arsenal has been a better team defensively since Mikel Arteta became our manager, but the role that Martinez has played in our recent return to form cannot be understated.
A look at his all-time Premier League stats shows that he has played 10 Premier League games for the club and kept six clean sheets.
This season alone, he has played four Premier League games, kept three clean sheets, conceded two goals, made nine saves, and made zero errors leading to a goal.
Martinez is by no means a world-class goalkeeper yet, but these stats suggest that the South American is better than most people think he is.
An article from Ime