Former Arsenal star and pundit Ian Wright has criticised Aston Villa’s Emiliano Martinez for his penalty antics at the World Cup that helped Argentina win the tournament.
The former Arsenal shot-stopper played a key role in helping Argentina to their third World Cup victory proving monumental in the final stopping a last-minute France chance and saving two penalties in the shootout.
However, some people might not like how the Argentine goalkeeper goes about his business for the spot-kicks, as the Aston Villa keeper is a master at using slightly unsportsmanlike tactics to throw his opponents off – with Ian Wright now being one of them.
After the game on Sunday, Wright said on ITV via the Mirror: “It does make the difference when you’re coming out against a goalkeeper who is imposing as Emi Martinez. Getting the ball, throwing it away, giving you a couple of seconds to think about where you’re going to put it.”
That seemed like praise from the former Arsenal star but he has performed a U-turn by saying that the shot-stopper’s antics crossed the line.
“I look at Emi Martinez, remember the s***housery with Auba [Martinez tried to put off Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang when he stepped up to take a penalty against Aston Villa in October 2021] and all that stuff he was doing at Arsenal,” Wright told the Ringer’s FC podcast.
“I was thinking this guy is going to go to another level of s***housery if this final goes to penalties. And he did. I like Emi but what he did in the penalty shootout crossed the line, in respect of sportsmanship. He crossed the line.”
Although not for everyone, many people love Martinez’s style when it comes to penalties and as long as he keeps winning them, nobody can really say anything as it is clearly working.
