WHAT A CATCH

Martinez was unloved for lots of Christmases past.. but now he’s a real No.1 hit

EMI MARTINEZ has finally turned himself into a Christmas No.1 – in less than half the time it took Mariah Carey.

This week the American diva’s classic All I want for Christmas is You finally hit the top spot 26 years after being released. It has only taken Martinez 10 years to step out of the shadows at Arsenal but the keeper is really singing for his supper at Aston Villa.

The 28-year-old is back in love with football and showed it with a string of fine saves to keep Wolves at bay. The Argentinian has justified his decision to escape the Emirates and back his belief he has what it takes to be a top-flight keeper.

He has landed the prize he was looking for, recognition as being a No.1 in his own right, with a number of team-mates convinced boss Dean Smith picked up a summer bargain for £17million.

Superb saves to deny Leander Dendoncker and Daniel Podence set up

Villa for an un l ike ly smash and grab when

J o h n

McGinn was sent tumbling in the box by Nelson Semedo four minutes into injury time and Anwar El Ghazi made no mistake with the penalty. McGinn likened the Villa keeper to David Seaman, while England international Tyrone Mings praised him as “unbelievable”. Smith said: “He won trophies last season with Arsenal and wants to improve and show what we are about at Villa. At the moment he has made the No.1 his own shirt and knows he is going to come under pressure from Tom Heaton and Jed Steer. He knows he has to keep performing like that.” It was an injury to England keeper Heaton that opened the door for Martinez.

A Vi l la win looked out of the question when ref Mike Dean ( left) gave Douglas Luiz a second yellow on 85 minutes. But then came the penalty. Wolves’ Joao Moutinho was sent off at the death for a second yellow.