Majestic Martinez makes a big point
EMILIANO MARTINEZ produced another sensational display to shut out unlucky Brighton.
Having cost just £18million from Arsenal in the summer, the Aston Villa stopper must be the snip of the season.
Argentine Martinez has been winning rave reviews pretty much every week, yet his clean sheet at the Amex Stadium last night was, arguably, his best display of all.
But for his heroics, including one stunning save from Dan Burn at the end of the opening period, the Seagulls would have been out of sight.
Instead Graham Potter’s men had to settle for a point that takes them a whopping 11 clear of the relegation places.
Maybe they were partly to blame for not taking all three – yet at the same time they were also cursing Martinez, who braved a bitterly cold evening in short sleeves. He was the only one.
While their stopper was at the very top of his game, the rest of the Villa side were well below the standards set this season. It took them until the 48th minute to register an effort on target.
In fact, this was exactly the sort of game that boss Dean Smith fears could cost them their bid to qualify for Europe.
This stalemate leaves them three points adrift of fifth place – although they have played less games than most of the teams above them.
It was the Seagulls who flew out of the blocks and carved out two great opportunities inside the opening 12 minutes.
Alexis Mac Allister was furious with himself for not opening the scoring – and no wonder. The Argentina ace stole in unmarked to meet Joel Veltman’s 11th-minute pinpoint cross, only to power his header over the crossbar.
And with their next attack, they went even closer as Veltman sped inside and forced a sharp low save from Martinez. That was the signal for Villa to respond and in the 19th minute, with their first attack, Douglas Luiz whistled a long-range effort narrowly wide.
But it was Martinez’s goal that continued to be under the greatest threat for the rest of the half.
Mac Allister curled a free-kick too high before the Villa keeper made a trio of stops to ensure it stayed goalless at half-time.
He denied Neal Maupay at the near post, then turned Leandro Trossard’s strike over.
But they were nothing compared to his flying fingertip save from Burn.
If Smith was banking on a few stern words at the changeover transforming his side, they did nothing in the early stages of the second half.
Martinez was once again forced into action when fellow countryman Mac Allister tested his reflexes with a low drive.
And his night’s work was still not finished as Martinez somehow kept out Veltman’s stinging 20-yard blast.