Emiliano Martinez was one of our heroes at Wembley as we won the FA Cup and saved our season from despair, but he is warning Arsenal that he will not settle for a return to the bench.
The Argentine shot-stopper has been with the club for a decade now, but after finally getting the chance to shine in the first-team, he is no longer looking to settle for being second choice.
Bernd Leno will likely be handed the number one slot once again when he returns from injury, with the goalkeeper still in the running for Arsenal’s Player of the Season, and that could well push Emi out the door.
The 27 year-old has exceeded expectations since filling in during the German’s absence, and you cannot blame him for believing in himself, and believing that he deserves to be number one.
“I showed that I can play, I need to play more games next season,” Martinez told Radio Continental.
“I want to establish myself at Arsenal and become first choice. If I don’t play, I’m going to move, I’m going to go where I play more.”
No Gunner will be happy with the threat that he could leave if he isn’t given more minutes, especially after his displays in recent months, but he is right in his thinking that he deserves to be playing, but so does Leno.
If money is tight this summer, we would likely fetch a prettier penny if we was to sell Leno over Martinez, and I’m not entirely sure that would be the wrong decision.
I’m not going to claim that either is inferior to the other, but we have Martinez who loves Arsenal and has waited 10 years to finally earn his stripes, and has already brought glory to the club, and Leno, who is set to narrowly miss out on the Player of the Season award to Aubameyang.
Both are top goalkeepers, and I wouldn’t be disheartened to see us cash-in on Leno in order to bolster other areas of the squad.
Is Leno that much better than Emi?
Patrick
I hope they both stay though. They can be used effectively in games depending on the opponent and competition. Martinez is commanding in the air so he will be needful against teams with taller players (set pieces) or teams that love to cross the ball a lot into the box. Leno reflexes is commendable. We have seen what they both bring to the team. Hopefully, the manager makes both happy…
Martinez comment make it quite clear to me that one of them have to leave. Unfortunate but not surprising.
If I had to choose I would keep Martinez. I think he handles crosses better and commands the box better. I
Maybe in the season after the coming one, that’s 21/22. Immediate departure is bad management and no wisdom, neither should he sit on the bench after he had proven to be a good learner and certainly better than any replacement The Arsenal will be able to afford.
I have always rated him higher apart from his terrible footwork. Now he has worked on, and improved so much his footwork that I have no more reservations about his deserved number one goalkeepership.
its hard to give a whos best in this scenario.
If you look at the season as a whole with the ups and downs we have had, how can we judge who is better?
If we look at Leno, he saved the team multiple times, but then during that time our defense and midfield was a shambles for most of the year.
When Martinez came into the side, our defensive unit was so much better, he made some really big saves and played very well during this period.
I would say to them both they are not no1, fight for it this season.
I would also say that which ever one of these two are more commanding on the pitch from the defenders view should get the nod to start the season and it would be for the other to try and take it way from him.
Just going from the games this season we have seen of Martinez, he seems much more commanding and is arguably better than Leno when it comes to corners and set pieces
Keep Martinez, I feel he is the reason why our defense has conceded less error lately. He is calm and he reads the game. He knows what he needs to do at the right time. He is good with both his leg and hand.
I will rather play Martinez ahead of Leno not only because of his height but his composition.
The difference between them is razor thin and highly subjective. I choose Martinez but would not object if we keep Leno.
Would like to keep both but that sounds tricky.
Martinez doesn’t just make a save, he catches the ball. I like that.
Fight it out. Play em both. Put them both in the shop window. Who ever wins end of season stays. And we make a pretty penny and perhaps buy a decent CB
Martinez is miles ahead of Leno in virtually everything. There’s no rocket science there.
However with the way guys in management constantly neglect better players for those with huge price tags, I support him to leave 100% if he’s not first choice next season.
Martinez is miles ahead of Leno in virtually everything. There’s no rocket science there.
However with the way guys in management constantly neglect better players for those with huge price tags, I support him to leave 100% if he’s not first choice next season.
Then we can get used to the comedy show at the back after that.
Arteta should rotate both of them to give them equal game time. If Leno keeps in first game, Martinez should automatically get the nod for the next game whether it is an Europa game,carabao cup or FA cup. With this scenario, both of them will be happy. We need two good goalkeepers bearing in mind that many games will come up next season and injury or suspension is inevitable in football
Martinez has been the revelation post-lockdown but I still rate Leno better than Martinez despite his errors. I think Martinez’s performance is currently ringing in our ears but we forget Leno was the one held Arsenal each game during Emery’s reign with most saves in the league. I think we need to keep them both my making them happy. I don’t remember the last time we had two excellent keepers in our disposal.
Back in 1982 our two keepers were at the WC in Spain. Jennings for NI, and the other, whose name eludes me. for Scotland.
Seaman / Manninger was not a bad duo either.
We should keep both of them but for me Martinez is the real deal, I fill more comfortable and relaxed with him than Leno
keep both of them and alternate after studying our opponents.