One Aston Villa star has been named in BBC Sports Premier League Team of the Week by pundit Garth Crooks for his impeccable performance against Arsenal on Sunday.
What a weekend it was for Aston Villa who became the villains of North London with a win over Arsenal that saw them leapfrog Tottenham to reclaim their position in the top four.
With the Premier League nearing the end of the thrilling 2023/24 campaign, Villa shook up the title race by taking three points from Unai Emery’s former club at the Emirates, recording a shock 2-0 win over the Gunners.
Villa’s performance truly rocked the North Londoners and derailed their hopes of taking control of the title race, with Emery having the last laugh for the second time this season over the club he managed for 18 months.
Leon Bailey and Ollie Watkins scored the two late goals to determine the direction of the points after 90 minutes however, neither of the scorers made Garth Crooks’ Premier League Team of the Week for their efforts.
Emi Martinez named in Garth Crooks’ Team of the Week for Arsenal display
It would be hard to select just who was Villa’s best player against the Gunners however, Crooks deemed it to be Emi Martinez, who kept a clean sheet at the Emirates against his former employer.
Read here for our Aston Villa player ratings vs Arsenal
The Argentine was widely applauded for his quality against Arsenal, ensuring that the Gunners’ efforts in the final third in the first half counted for nothing.
Taking to his BBC Sports column, Crooks branded Martinez as “unshakeable” against Mikel Arteta’s side.
“Playing out from the back, and when Arsenal are pressing, you have to have nerves of steel. Martinez remained unshakeable throughout this entire fixture.”
“However, he is a goalkeeper first and foremost and when he was called on to produce something special he did precisely that.”
“His point-blank save from Leandro Trossard at a crucial stage in the match was a turning point in the game and Villa never looked back. This is a team and a manager who look like they might be going places.”
Emi Martinez kept Aston Villa in the game against Arsenal
Having spent eight years of his career at Arsenal, it was only right that Martinez showed the Gunners what they were missing with his quality.
Making four saves, the 31-year-old prevented an extraordinary 1.98 goals on Sunday, keeping a clean sheet against a side that was unbeaten in 2024 before playing Villa.
As highlighted by Crooks, it was Martinez’s instinctual save to deny Leandro Trossard a certain goal that shaped the game, with Arsenal’s threat slowing down almost in a state of shock at the Argentine’s defiance between the sticks.
In a contest that meant so much to both sides, the Villa shot-stopper was at his brilliant best to ensure the Villans took three points back to Birmingham, earning his spot in Crooks’ Team of the Week.
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