There is little doubt that Aston Villa goalkeeper Emi Martinez has secured the title of save of the season in the Premier League. The Argentina international produced a breathtaking save during his team’s 2-1 defeat against Nottingham Forest on Saturday.
In a remarkable moment, Martinez was positioned slightly off his line when Forest’s Nicolas Dominguez directed a header toward goal. In an instinctive reaction, Martinez extended his left hand behind him, miraculously managing to redirect the ball onto the ground and clear it off the line in one fluid motion.
The Premier League hailed the save as “world class,” while the BBC described it as potentially “one of the all-time great Premier League saves.” Former England and Liverpool midfielder Jamie Redknapp, who was covering the match for Sky Sports, remarked, “I can’t think of a better Premier League save. It’s almost like a magician with his sleight of hand.”
Just three minutes later, Martinez celebrated as teammate Jhon Duran scored, putting Villa ahead at the City Ground. However, Nottingham Forest rallied late, scoring two goals in the 87th minute to secure the victory.
Martinez, who has been recognized as the best goalkeeper in the world at the Ballon d’Or awards for the past two years, is no stranger to high-pressure moments. He famously made a crucial save in the dying seconds of extra time during the 2022 World Cup final, denying France’s Randal Kolo Muani and helping to secure Argentina’s historic win, fulfilling teammate Lionel Messi’s long-held dream of lifting the trophy.
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