Penalty-saving expert Emiliano Martinez has opened up on what makes him so successful at keeping out spot-kicks after becoming a master of the art.
The 30-year-old has developed a reputation for coming out on top in shootouts by any means necessary after helping Argentina to World Cup glory last year when they beat France on penalties in the final. He was also the hero in their quarter-final shootout win against the Netherlands.
Those heroics were far from just a lucky run, as he also got into the heads of the Colombia players during Argentina’s penalty shootout win in the 2021 Copa America semi-finals before they went on to lift the trophy.
Later that year, he was back playing club football for Aston Villa against Manchester United at Old Trafford. Having gone in front in the 88th minute, the visitors conceded an added-time spot-kick.
Martinez has revealed he was surprised Bruno Fernandes was set to take the penalty rather than Cristiano Ronaldo, and decided to use this to his advantage.
‘I saw Ronaldo disappointed for not taking it, and I thought there is tension here. I said “come on, you take it now”, Martinez told Ian Wright and Oriana Sabatini on Behind The Game.
Watching the drama unfold from the September 2021 match, Martinez added: ‘He (Ronaldo) doesn’t want to shoot. I said to Cavani “why is Ronaldo not shooting?”
Martinez’s antics caused a significant delay to the penalty being taken, and the goalkeeper was accused of ‘trash-talking’ Fernandes.
The Argentine denies this was the case, though, explaining that he just wanted to do everything he could to put doubt in Fernandes’ mind.
Martinez was also seen bouncing up and down on his line and swaying from side to side, and revealed this is a tip that was passed on to him by his international team-mate Lionel Messi.
‘It’s not even trash-talk. I create chaos. It was the 92nd minute of the game, I have to distract him in some way because they’ve got everything to win,’ Martinez said.
‘Bruno, he didn’t miss a pen for 25 pens or something. I asked Messi and he said when you move all around the place like that, they don’t like it.
‘I was dancing not because I want to dance. I never practised that. I don’t know how to do it now, that just came out in the moment.
‘The strikers they said “we pick a spot”, and the quality they’ve got they can put the ball in the spot. So if you’re moving around so you create chaos, actually we see different spots.
‘Messi said that to me. So it’s harder. When you don’t move, pick a spot, that’s it.’
Fernandes finally stepped up and blasted his penalty over the bar as Villa held on to secure a famous win at the Theatre of Dreams.
Martinez has continued to thrive in these situations ever since, saving a Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang penalty when facing Arsenal the following month.
He also kept out a Wilfried Zaha spot-kick earlier this season, and is now flourishing under Unai Emery with the Villans pushing for a European place in the final weeks of the campaign.
Source: dailymail.co.uk
