Aston Villa midfielder Emi Buendia has delivered a telling insight into the mindset of his compatriot, goalkeeper Emi Martinez, confirming the World Cup winner is now fully refocused at the club after a summer overshadowed by transfer speculation.
Martinez's Crucial Bournemouth Performance
The 33-year-old shot-stopper produced a man-of-the-match display in Aston Villa's emphatic 4-0 victory over Bournemouth on Sunday. With the score at 2-0, Martinez made a pivotal penalty save in the 67th minute, denying Antoine Semenyo from the spot in front of the Holte End.
This intervention proved to be the game's defining moment, with Ross Barkley and Donyell Malen adding further goals to secure the three points. Martinez's heroics were not limited to the penalty, however. He had earlier produced a stunning first-half save to deny Evanilson from close range and, after the break, acrobatically clawed Alex Scott's deflected effort from underneath the crossbar.
Buendia himself had opened the scoring with a expertly taken free-kick, before Amadou Onana doubled Villa's lead later in the first half.
Buendia's Candid Transfer Admission
In a frank assessment, Buendia acknowledged that the summer transfer window may have had an unsettling effect on his fellow Argentine. Manchester United had considered a move for Martinez before ultimately signing Senne Lammens from Royal Antwerp on deadline day.
The uncertainty led to Martinez being left out of the squad for the match against Crystal Palace and subsequently stripped of the vice-captaincy. "Sometimes these kinds of things, emotionally, can have an impact," Buendia admitted.
However, the midfielder was quick to emphasise that Martinez has since put any distractions firmly behind him. "After the break and the transfer window, he has shown everyone he is really focused in the club," Buendia stated.
A World-Class Mentality
Buendia was effusive in his praise for the goalkeeper's professionalism and influence within the squad. "When you have the best goalkeeper in the world in that kind of moment, with the penalty the game could change, but he did his work and helped the team," he said.
He highlighted Martinez's resilience, referencing a recent mistake in the match against Liverpool as an example of his strong character. "Like anyone, he can make a mistake. It happened in Liverpool, but he steps up and works on it. It is really important to have someone with that kind of mentality in the team because he pushes all the squad to be better."
Buendia concluded by reaffirming the squad's confidence in their number one, adding, "We feel like we have a strong man in the goal." This sentiment underscores a seemingly settled situation at Villa Park, with Martinez appearing fully recommitted to the cause after a turbulent summer.
