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Former Arsenal star Samir Nasri has called Emi Martinez out for his antics, who agitated the crowd in Aston Villa's Europa Conference League 2-1 win over Lille.
Notably, before Martinez joined Aston Villa, he was a Gunner for 10 years but struggled to get a spot in the starting lineup at the Emirates Stadium. The last four years have seen him rise exponentially, as he has won the Copa America and the FIFA World Cup with Argentina.
Aside from his blossoming popularity, Emi Martinez has also become famous for his antics on the field. He has often antagonized fans, bringing his antics to the fore once more during the penalty shootout against Lille. Although he was the hero for Villa in the shootout, his antics led former teammate Samir Nasri to call out the goalkeeper.
Nasri told Canal Plus (via GOAL):
“His behaviour annoys me because he wasn't like that before. I knew him when he was very young at Arsenal, he was very shy. And now, this behaviour has become his stock in trade. You stop a shot on goal, you don't need to abuse the opposition by telling them to ‘shh’."
Nasri continued:
"He doesn't need to do that. With his decisive save on [Randal] Kolo Muani, the penalty shootout against France, again this evening... he doesn't need to say ‘shh’ for people to talk about him.”
Former Aston Villa player questions why Arsenal let Emi Martinez leave the club
Aston Villa's 2-0 win over Arsenal in the Premier League might be the reason behind the Gunners fail to win the title this season. Mikel Arteta's men were widely expected to beat their counterparts, especially as the game took place in front of their fans.
However, former Gunners goalkeeper Emi Martinez made important saves to keep a clean sheet, as the Villans went on to secure the win. His impressive goalkeeping also led Villa into the semi-finals of the Europa Conference League.
This has led former player Lee Hendrie to question Arsenal's decision to let him leave the club. He said on Sky Sports (via CaughtOffside):
“He’s the best goalkeeper in the world. I can’t believe Arsenal let him go. Villa into the semi-finals. Let’s have it. They didn’t play anywhere near their best but Emery is the manager of the year. They dug deep. Have you got any champagne here?”
Aston Villa remain in the Conference League and have every chance of raising the trophy by the end of the season. The Gunners, however, may end this season trophyless.
