Emi Martinez blows away Amazon Prime pundit in Aston Villa loss v Newcastle
Emi Martinez was lauded by Shay Given for one moment in a mixed display for Aston Villa in the defeat to Newcastle United.
The Argentina international started for the Villans as Unai Emery named an unchanged starting lineup for the St James’ Park clash on 26 December.
Since his move to Villa Park, the World Cup winner has been instrumental to the Lions’ success, but he has had some inconsistent moments recently.
Anthony Gordon opened the scoring for the Magpies in the second minute, before Alexander Isak and Joelinton’s strikes in the second half sealed the victory for Eddie Howe’s team.
Jhon Duran’s red card at around the half-hour mark didn’t help Emery’s cause, and in the end, the Birmingham-based club failed to build on their heroics from the Manchester City win on 21 December.
Emi Martinez inconsistency on show in Aston Villa loss v Newcastle
Martinez made some impressive saves during the game, none better than the one in the first half to deny Sandro Tonali a goal.
Speaking on Amazon Prime [26 December], Shay Given said: “This is a brilliant save, a world-class save from the best goalkeeper in the world. Tonali should maybe score, but that’s a fantastic save.”
The 32-year-old couldn’t have done much with the shots he faced in the fixture as Aston Villa conceded three times, with an xGOT of 3.14, as per FotMob.
Over the course of the 90 minutes, the shot-stopper had 55 touches of the ball, made four saves, three throws, two high claims and 10 recoveries.
Martinez was shoddy with the ball at his feet, though, completing just 61 per cent of his passes and being accurate with just 38 per cent of his long balls, gifting a few opportunities to Newcastle.
The Argentine has been imperious for the Villans, but a few cracks have emerged, and Emery needs to find a solution before the Brighton clash on 30 December.
In other Aston Villa news, Duran could face an extended ban for what he did after his sending-off against the Magpies.
For more Aston Villa news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.