Romano stated on X (13 October) that the 31-year-old’s last goal for his country was in the World Cup final, almost 10 months ago.
Martinez has shown his world-class reputation with a fantastic international record and maintained brilliance for Unai Emery’s side in the Premier League.
Martinez has started all seven of Argentina’s games since the memorable final in Qatar and has yet to surrender, demonstrating his consistency and effectiveness in goal. Even with a strong defence in front of him, his clean sheet record speaks volumes about his ability.
The former Arsenal shot-stopper’s career took off after his arrival at Villa Park in 2020, but many were surprised that such a gifted custodian had not established themselves until Martinez’s relatively late age.
Martinez stands out among Premier League defenders not only for his shot-stopping, distribution, and reflexes, but also for his leadership and command of his penalty area. According to FBRef, he prevents 11% of crosses into the box (99th percentile), demonstrating himself to be a calming presence in the penalty area.
He is also very strong in one-on-one situations. In Villa’s narrow 1-0 win over Chelsea earlier in the season, the Argentine was quick off his line to fend off Nicolas Jackson as he bore down on goal, but Martinez’s quick actions kept his side level.
Villa themselves have had some wobbles this season, including their opening-day loss to Newcastle, but Martinez has rarely been at fault for anything his side have conceded. Per FBRef, Martinez has earned a 28.6 per cent clean sheet rate, the fourth-best in the Premier League this season.
Goalkeepers can be difficult to quantify because typically the best ones play for the best teams and are rarely tested compared to relegation-threatened shot-stoppers. But Martinez earned his world-class status because of how many points he won his Villa through his crucial saves.
Over the course of a season, most teams would benefit from having Martinez in their squad. Both Aston Villa and Argentina owe a lot to his talents, and he seems in no rush to slow down.
In other Aston Villa news, a pundit was left awestruck by a Villa deal after an October announcement.
