Emi Martinez snubbed by Aston Villa teammate in controversial moment vs Fulham
Aston Villa secured their first victory of the new Premier League season with a 3-1 win over Fulham on Sunday afternoon.
The Villans have found results hard to come by in the early stages of the campaign, but they secured an invaluable three points at Villa Park.
Ollie Watkins equalised for Aston Villa with his first goal of the season in the 37th minute, as he cancelled out the visitors’ early opener through Raul Jimenez.
The hosts then secured the points with quickfire goals from John McGinn and Emi Buendia at the start of the second period.
Unai Emery will be delighted by his side’s efforts against the Cottagers, but there was one moment in particular that raised eyebrows during the contest.
John McGinn handed captain’s armband to Ezri Konsa not Emi Martinez
Emi Martinez has been central to controversy at Aston Villa almost constantly in recent months, as he desperately tried to push for a move to Manchester United during the summer transfer window.
The Argentina international has had a turbulent start to the season with the Villans, having missed the opening few games through suspension.
The 33-year-old appears to be back on board with Emery and his plans, but there was a moment in the clash with Fulham that highlighted the issues that still remain after the saga in the summer.
Club captain McGinn came off in the 72nd minute of Sunday’s game, and notably chose to hand the captain’s armband to Ezri Konsa instead of Martinez, according to journalist Jacob Tanswell via X.
He added that Emery believes he now has five captains within his squad, with Konsa having now become part of that group.
Emi Martinez snub shows lack of trust at Aston Villa
Martinez has captained Villa on several occasions in recent seasons, as he has regularly taken the armband when McGinn hasn’t been on the pitch.
With that in mind, the Scot’s decision to snub him on Sunday is a clear indication of the feeling towards the shot stopper in B6.
Martinez’s antics in the summer provided plenty of frustration to the club and the fans, and it has been made abundantly clear that the level of trust towards him from the manager and the rest of the squad has firmly broken down.
The gloveman may now be back out on the pitch and wearing Villa’s colours, but it seems that things are still not quite right regarding him and his future.
Enjoyed this article? Stay connected with all the latest Aston Villa news, updates, and behind-the-scenes content by following us on our new Instagram account – @villanews247