Emiliano Martinez endured a night to forget as Arsenal swept aside Aston Villa with a dominant 4-1 victory at the Emirates Stadium.
The Argentine goalkeeper spent nearly a decade at Arsenal but never truly established himself as the club’s long-term number one. In the summer of 2020, he completed a move to Aston Villa, a decision that proved pivotal for his career. However, his behaviour during matches against his former club has often irritated Arsenal supporters.
On Tuesday night, the home fans finally had the last laugh.
Martinez Frustrates the Emirates Crowd
From the early stages of the match, Martinez appeared intent on slowing the game down. The Villa goalkeeper resorted to time-wasting tactics almost immediately, taking excessive time over goal kicks while the referee chose not to intervene.
That approach continued at the start of the second half, but everything changed once Gabriel Magalhães opened the scoring following a costly mistake from Martinez. Suddenly, the World Cup winner was desperate to restart play, demanding the ball instantly whenever it went out for a goal kick.
By that point, however, the momentum had fully swung in Arsenal’s favour.
Arsenal Fans Turn the Tables
With Arsenal leading 4-0 late in the game, David Raya produced a stunning close-range save to deny John McGinn. The moment sparked loud chants from the home supporters, who aimed their words directly at Martinez.
“He’s better than you, he’s better than you, David Raya, he’s better than you,” echoed around the Emirates.
Martinez was visibly unhappy as the chants rang out, clearly rattled by the comparison with Arsenal’s current goalkeeper.
Martinez ‘Loses It’ After Full-Time
Aston Villa’s 11-game unbeaten run came to an emphatic end in north London, and tensions were high after the final whistle. Unai Emery notably refused to shake Mikel Arteta’s hand, while Martinez was involved in a heated exchange with Arsenal supporters as he headed down the tunnel.
Footage circulating on social media showed the Villa goalkeeper shouting back at fans, needing to be restrained by a member of the club’s staff before being escorted inside.
One Arsenal supporter summed up the moment online, claiming Martinez had “absolutely lost it” after being taunted by the home crowd, while others noted how easily he appeared to be rattled.
It was a frustrating and emotional night for Emiliano Martinez — and one Arsenal fans will not forget anytime soon.
