As we found out in the FA Cup Final, Emiliano Martinez wears his heart on his sleeve and is not scared of revealing his feelings and his thoughts. He told us about how he arrived at Arsenal as a teenager from a poor family in Argentina, and was determined to return with a medal, which he finally got thanks to the injury to Bernd Leno.
Now he has revealed how hard it was to fight his way up the ladder at Arsenal, and although he hoped to become Number One at Arsenal one day, he thinks that moving to Aston Villa is a “step up” for him in his career and gives him more of a chance to achieve his ultimate ambition, which is to become Argentina’s national team keeper.
He told SkySports Soccer Saturday: “I’m in the best shape of my career and when I didn’t have the security of that game time, I wasn’t sure about staying,”
“I’m fighting to be Argentina’s number one, that’s my dream.
“Aston Villa is a massive club, I had no doubts over coming here. Everyone thinks it’s a step down going from Arsenal to Villa, but I actually think it’s a step up in my career.”
“People don’t realise how much I’d been fighting to get on the bench. I had nine goalkeepers in front of me,”
“Once on the bench, I wanted to be Number One. Once I got the number One shirt, and I wasn’t sure I was going to keep it, I said I’ll go and be the Number One somewhere else.
“My ambition was always trying to be number One at Arsenal, coming through their academy was not easy. People that talk outside of football know nothing about football.
“I want to be in Europe with Villa next season. Everyone at the club thinks we can have a great season, which drives me forward. We’ve got two wins on the bounce, so we’ve got nothing to lose against Liverpool.
“If you want to achieve something in the league, you have to beat the best, which is what we will try to do on Sunday.”
Well, Martinez has certainly had a great start to his career at Villa, with two clean sheets out of two. Maybe if he can get a third one against Champions Liverpool this weekend, Argentina may start to sit up and take notice…
Move on as martinez has. Thank you for your service you had 2 or 3 excellent months. Yawn 🥱 .
LENO IS THE ONE #ENTERTHMATRIX
Yawwwnnn…. playing on our love for you right? Trying to cover up the fact that you ran when the ovation was loudest right? How worse can someone be to have 9 goalkeepers in front of him. Did you arrive as a 6 month old baby? Move on man, we are also doing the same. Leno is still da man.
“I’m in the best shape of my career and when I didn’t have the security of that game time, I wasn’t sure about staying,
Once on the bench, I wanted to be Number One. Once I got the number One shirt, and I wasn’t sure I was going to keep it, I said I’ll go and be the Number One somewhere else.”
Someone wanna explain what that means? Because to me he only repeated what he was always saying about leaving if he doesn’t gets the spot guaranteed.
He was seeking security? He wanted to be guaranteed the spot like he demanded.
Also like some people see it, he wasn’t sure he could’ve kept Leno away from the number one spot.
Some people have said he chickened out of the challenge.
I’ve never seen it that way though. I like to see it as someone who took the next step in his career.
My point is this should be clear for those fans who keeps making statements like the club would regret letting him and that Arteta chose Leno over him.
Martinez made the decision for Arteta and the club, he wasn’t interested in fighting for the spot he had.
Anyway we move.
I love you Emi
I just like your view on subject matters
Arsenal and MA didn’t let him go
He made that decision on his own
And am he or arsenal won’t regret it
We March on
COYG………
Thanks 👊👍
Eddie, I see this turning into another soap opera, with so called “fanboys” in both camps!!!
Why we all can’t just get behind the decisions that MA is making, query those that we find puzzling, but support the manager 100% without trashing each other, is something I will never understand.
I wanted Martinez before Leno, my personal opinion, but he was wrong in demanding the No.1 spot…Leno kept his peace and the rest is history….just as every other decision MA makes is history as we move on to the next game.
Are we getting any players this season guys?
Leno confirmed on live TV that Arteta told him he would remain the number one and so I don’t blame Martinez for leaving to improve his lot, the best of luck to him. There is no way he could fight for the spot by just sitting on the bench not playing and that’s how it would have stayed unless Leno had a run of stinkers. As we have seen, Leno has played really well, though in my opinion he will never command his area or play out from the back as well as Martinez does. Anyway it’s all history now but I expect there will be more articles on the subject for months to come. Peace and Love.
Are you sure he said Arteta told him he’ll be number 1??
Lol..because these were the exact words and statement.
“I never feared it because the club always gave me the feeling that I was number 1, I am number 1, and I will be number 1. So that was always very good for the club. And my job is to prove it every week, and I think I’ve done it today again.”
So the club gave him the feeling and made it known they believe him and it means he was told he’ll be number 1?
Lol…Okay
Dear oh dear my fellow Gooner, you really don’t like others having opinions that differ to yours do you? Perhaps you didn’t see the interview I saw (he gave a few) so climb down off your high horse and go back to telling us who we are about to sign🤫
oh, and Lol… Ok. Peace and Love xx
Of course people can have their opinions, I have nothing against that, but perhaps you could drop the link or quote he made that stated Mikel Arteta told him he’d be number one?
Aye man I just wana read for myself, I fancy reading these stuff.
On who we’re signing, I’m sure you have your tons of blogs you follow. Find out from there👌👌
I ain’t no board member
I just follow this one and Le Grove.
I thought you was the one telling us who we are signing🤔.
There is no link, it was on tv and I know what I heard, anyway, end of and you take care. Peace and Love.
Paint it any how you want
We all know that no matter how good Emi was Leno will always get a nod over him..
I was very happy for emi because moving was the best choice he can make and i am glad he did.
Of course part of me wanted him to stay because i believed he was better than Leno.
I believe we still have safe hands with Leno thou
Ad PAT, Martinez HAS left us and as such any discussion on him NOW is only of interest to academics and being a realist, concerned with here and now and the future, I see no point in us discussing what has gone. Unlike you who own this site, your users like us have moved on and are concerned with what MATTERS now, not what mattered a few weeks ago when Martinez was still here.
Some of us at least would have hoped that LENOS spectacular display at Anfield would have brought the endless Martinez inquests to an end. Seems not though. Sigh!
👍
Lets move on.
It’s all spilt milk, can do much about now.
But I do understand what choice Martinez has to make. He is nearly 29 years old, been moved back and forward for 10 years. He has remained determined to make it. He took all the loans and second keeper options.
I would have done the same. You are not getting any younger. He is nearly 29 years old, wants to be Argentina’s No1, wants guaranteed first time football that Arsenal were not willing to offer him.
To me he just seems like he cares more about his career than to just on tye bench or not even play, get paid and just be comfortable. A move to a club like Aston Villa shows that he cares more about football than just scrounging like some of our well known players. Moving to a relegation club from Arsenal is enough for me to give him his respect as a footballer.
Good luck to him and we should all move on. No more Articles about Ex Arsenal players. We need current and potential Arsenal players.
Thank you very much.
Yawns! 😴😴
Can I ask a questions please,
Out of all the loans EMI went out for has he ever held the 1st choice goalkeeper position in any of the teams and what are his performances.
I can rememeber the last one, and that was at Reading.. He was the 1st choice and he performed very well that season for them
NEXT
Are you sure Leo Scanoli ain’t taking notice. I bet Emi Martinez is on the next match list, yes for sure. No good coach will ignore that.
“People that talk outside of football know nothing about football.”
This exact statement from Martinez can be related to a lot of our fans on here who just make assumptions on issues without knowing what goes on behind the scenes.
Spot on Khadil, but we can all have opinions surely?
I think Martinez should now get on with his wish to play for Aston Villa and Argentina as that was the decision he made.
Meanwhile, I’ll be watching Leno playing for The Arsenal and supporting him 100%.
By the way, it’s not “some of the fans”, it’s every single fan who doesn’t know what is going on behind the scene wouldn’t you say?
👌🏽👍🏽
Early days of course my Arsenal friends, however the Aston Villa Football Club are the ONLY premiership team still yet to concede a goal in this seasons competition! (fact)
That could of course change tomorrow after Villa have played Liverpool, however I think that Emiliano Martinez is a tremendous shot stopper and a terrific signing for the Villa, in my humble opinion they will easily finish above the relegation zone and could very plausibly even be a ‘dark horse’ for a challenge on a European place come May of next year.
Seattle Villain.
Martinez, tying Grealish and Mings down.. you’ve had an excellent window!
Will watch with interest…