Aston Villa have gone from strength to strength in recent years and are staking a claim to be one of the best teams not only in England but also in Europe.
The Villans finished in the Premier League’s top four last season to qualify for the Champions League, and they’ve reached the quarter-finals of the competition.
Aston Villa are also in the FA Cup quarter-finals and remain in the picture to qualify for the Champions League via league position once again.
Unai Emery and Monchi have put together a brilliant squad, signing exceptional players who are a great fit for the team.
Indeed, Chris Sutton has now described one of Villa’s players as the best in the world in his position.
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Chris Sutton calls Aston Villa’s Emiliano Martinez ‘the best goalkeeper in the world’
Sutton, previewing Villa’s FA Cup meeting with Preston North End, said he backed Emiliano Martinez to keep a clean sheet on Sunday.
The BBC Sport pundit praised Martinez’s keepie-uppies in the World Cup qualifier against Brazil, which his Argentina side won handsomely.
“I’m going for Emi Martinez to keep a clean sheet, too,” Sutton wrote on BBC Sport.
“His keepie-uppie antics, external to wind up Brazil while playing for Argentina this week were another reminder of why he is the best goalkeeper in the world.
“Anyone who can produce moments like that in a game of that magnitude deserves all the accolades you can get.”
Sutton backed Villa to run out 2-0 winners at Deepdale.
What other football figures have said about Emiliano Martinez
Villa struck gold when they signed Martinez from Arsenal in a deal worth around £20million in 2020.
The keeper has gone from strength to strength at Villa Park, helping the club rise up the ranks along with helping Argentina to regional and global glory.
Martinez literally is the best goalkeeper in the world at present, as per the FIFA award he has won for 2024 – the second time in three years he has done so.
In October, Villa legend Ian Taylor praised Martinez by saying: “For me, he’s the best in the world and he’s a big cog in the Aston Villa wheel so without Emi Martinez, we’re half the team.
“He’s done his bit for so long and he’s probably not got the praise he’s deserved to be honest. He’s a top, top keeper.”
Meanwhile, Tottenham striker Dominic Solanke ranked Martinez above Alisson, Ederson and David Raya.
“Number one, it’s tough between Allison and Martinez… I’d probably say Martinez is number one. Just the fact that he makes some crazy saves,” Solanke said recently.
“Few times I’ve played against him and I thought ‘I’ve scored’, the ball was coming from across, and he’s just made the craziest save, and it’s like ‘damn’.
“He’s made some crazy saves, not just against me but just in his time as well, so he’s a great keeper – yeah, it was tough between these two.”
