Aston Villa favourite Emi Martinez rightfully has protective shield as Argentina advance

Aston Villa goalkeeper Emi Martinez will not care that his performance against Egypt was not his best.

Martinez conceded twice as the World Cup champions went 2-0 down in Tuesday's last-16 tie.

Luckily, his outfield teammates managed to turn the game around, completing one of the more remarkable comebacks in the tournament's history.

Now, Argentina are set for another World Cup quarter-final and Martinez will have the chance to prove why he is one of the best around.

While the performance that Martinez produced would typically enact scrutiny for other goalkeepers, he has earned leeway throughout his career.

For years, Martinez has built a reputation as one of the world’s most reliable goalkeepers, but even the best can struggle.

Martinez’s stats tell a story his reputation cannot hide

Focus for Martinez will be on what is ahead and to forget the night he had in Atlanta.

As per FotMob, Martinez was handed the lowest rating of any Argentine player with a 5.7.

Additionally, he managed to make zero saves, facing two shots on target with both of those finishes going into the net.

Distribution wise he was also off his game. He ended with just a 68 per cent passing accuracy and completed just two of eight long balls.

It was an uncharacteristic display and Argentina fans will now be hoping it was a rare blip.

The performance against Egypt was a warning sign that even the World Cup's underdogs could snatch a victory.

And Martinez's heroics may be needed further down the line.

How have the media reacted to Martinez's performance?

The Argentine media are well aware that it was not Martinez's best game in the national team jersey.

But it appears his previous performances have handed him some leniency in their eyes.

TYC Sports handed him a 5/10, stating: "There was little he could do about Egypt's goals; he was caught off guard by the Egyptian defender's accurate header, and then they finished him off in the six-yard box for the second.

"Few chances, but they all ended in goals. Dibu will undoubtedly show his true potential in the next round."

After being the hero in the last World Cup final, Martinez certainly deserves some wiggle room to have an off day.

And nobody better than Villa fans will know he can turn things around quickly.