Aston Villa fans send clear dig to Emi Martinez as chants fly round Villa Park vs Crystal Palace
Aston Villa fans have made their feelings clear on the speculation surrounding Emi Martinez.
Aston Villa hosted Crystal Palace on Sunday evening, and before the game, there was a notable absentee from the Villa squad: Martinez.
Martinez has been heavily linked with a move to Manchester United, and it is thought that the deal is progressing quickly enough to be sealed before Monday’s 7 pm deadline.
Within the first 15 minutes of their encounter with Palace, Villa supporters were heard chanting about Marco Bizot, and it was evidently a dig fired at their former number one.
Emi Martinez has tarnished his Aston Villa reputation
Aston Villa fans backed Martinez for years, even through some horrendous mistakes that often proved costly.
They gave him a platform to showcase his ability after being let go by his former club, Arsenal.
And yet, a lack of loyalty has shone through on behalf of Martinez, who has completely ruined his reputation with the Villans.
| Player | Season | Appearances | Clean Sheets |
| Emi Martinez | 2024/25 | 53 | 16 |
With news of Martinez’s exit from Aston Villa emerging, the feeling around Villa Park was clear, with a chant aimed at the seemingly Man United-bound shot-stopper.
As reported by Jacob Tanswell on X, the Villa Park crowd were chanting “Marco Bizot, the world’s number one.”
Not only that, but Unai Emery’s response when asked about Martinez’s absence also sparked curiosity, with the Spaniard opting to repeat Bizot’s name three times.
- Read more: Unai Emery has already been told what to expect from Victor Lindelof as Aston Villa open talks
Villa chants immediately backfire with early Crystal Palace incident
In a sense of irony, Bizot would concede a penalty 10 minutes later, after taking Daichi Kamada down in the box.
Jean-Phillipe Mateta stepped up to dispatch the penalty, leaving the Villans with an uphill battle to fight after a poor start to the campaign.
With that said, Bizot has already showcased his worth in Martinez’s absence, having kept a clean sheet in Aston Villa’s 0-0 draw with Newcastle at the start of the season.
Goals are looking like they will be the biggest issue for Emery’s side this season, though they will look to address that before the transfer deadline on Monday.
Quite frankly, they will have to, if they are to have any chance of success in this campaign.
Sign up for the Villa News WhatsApp channel and turn on notifications to have all the latest, breaking Aston Villa news sent straight to your phone.