Petr Cech Defends Arsenal’s Decision to Sell Goalkeeper Emi Martinez

Petr Cech has defended Arsenal’s decision to sell Emiliano Martinez, despite the goalkeeper’s success with Argentina and Aston Villa.

The former Gunners shotstopper believes the move was necessary for Martinez to reach his full potential.

Despite being highly regarded within the club’s academy, Martinez was often overlooked, leading to multiple loan spells.

His breakthrough in the first team finally came during Project Restart in 2020, when he stepped in for an injured Bernd Leno and delivered stellar performances, helping the club win an FA Cup.

However, Arsenal opted to sell him for £20 million to Aston Villa in September 2020.

Cech’s Defends Arsenal’s Martinez Sale

Speaking to Amazon Prime, Cech reflected on Martinez’s time at Arsenal and talked about why he found it difficult to establish himself at the club.

“You could always see his ability, but he had too much energy at Arsenal,” Cech said. “It wasn’t until he found a way to channel it into one direction that he really developed and went to the next level.”

Cech believes that Martinez’s move away from Arsenal allowed him to refine his game and flourish into the world-class goalkeeper he is today.

Martinez’s Rise to Stardom

Since leaving Arsenal, Martinez has enjoyed immense success. He played a crucial role in Argentina’s 2022 World Cup victory, as well as their two Copa America triumphs.

His performances for Aston Villa have also been outstanding, helping them secure a top-four Premier League finish last season.

Despite his achievements, Martinez has been vocal about his disappointment with how Arsenal handled his situation.

Speaking to Sky Sports in 2021, he expressed frustration over the club’s lack of faith in him.

“I still love them, and I’m still watching the games, but I just felt like they didn’t trust me like they should have,” Martinez said. “They kept buying goalkeepers to go in front of me, and I was the goalkeeper from the academy.”

Now an integral member of Unai Emery’s Aston Villa, Martinez has continued to prove himself among the Premier League’s elite goalkeepers.

This season, he has kept eight clean sheets in 38 appearances, and his next challenge awaits in the Champions League, with Villa taking on Club Brugge in the round of 16.