{{primary_category}}
{{/primary_category}} 
Emi Martinez international proves world-class status after Fabrizio Romano update
Fabrizio Romano has shared that Aston Villa goalkeeper Emi Martinez has not conceded a goal for Argentina in 622 minutes, a national record.
Taking to X (13 October), Romano reported that the last time the 31-year-old let a goal in for his country was the World Cup final, almost 10 months ago.
With an exceptional international record and continued excellence for Unai Emery’s side in the Premier League, Martinez has surely proved his world-class status.
Per Transfermarkt, Martinez has started all seven of Argentina’s games since the historic final in Qatar and is yet to concede, showing his consistency and excellence in between the sticks. Even with a quality defence in front of him, having such an outstanding clean sheet record speaks volumes for his quality.
The former Arsenal shot-stopper’s career surged after his arrival at Villa Park in 2020, but most became shocked that such a talented goalkeeper had never established themselves before Martinez’s relatively old age.
Martinez doesn’t just offer top-quality shot-stopping, distribution and reflexes, but his leadership and command of his penalty area sets him apart from many other Premier League defenders. Per FBRef, he stops 11 per cent of crosses into the box (99th percentile), proving himself 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.