Martinez hits out at Arsenal treatment, says they didn’t deserve him

Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez has hit out at his former club Arsenal over the way he was treated at the North London club and said they didn’t deserve him.

Martinez was on Arsenal’s books for 10years before departing for the Midlands in the summer where he has cemented himself as the club’s first choice goalkeeper and one of the best in the league.

“I love everything about Arsenal,” Martinez told Sky Sports. “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.

“That’s the reality because they kept buying goalkeepers to go in front of me and I was the goalkeeper from the academy.

He joined Arsenal as a 17year old from Independente in his home country of Argentina and went on several loans before getting the chance to impress at the end of last season which he took and won the Gunners the FA Cup and Community Shield.

“When I was on a high, I still felt like they didn’t deserve me because of the way they were treating me,” he said. “They couldn’t guarantee me the games I needed so I thought that if they couldn’t guarantee me the games I needed, then I’m moving on.

“They didn’t say to me that I wasn’t going to play, they just didn’t guarantee me the games that I wanted to play.

Martinez is an important part of Aston Villa team that has turned their fortunes around from a team that controversially avoided relegation to an European place contender. Martinez has kept 13 clean sheets with only Ederson having more.

“So, after 10 years, I decided to leave, and it was very difficult,” he said. “My family didn’t understand why I was leaving when I was at such a good level at Arsenal, but it was my decision to leave and I’m really proud I did it.

“It was a gamble, but I always believe that if you stay in the comfort zone, you will never reach anything in life. I decided to take the step up.”

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