Martinez's Silverware Craving: Villa's Keeper Seeks Cup Glory and World's Best Status
Paul Riverbank, 1/11/2025Argentine goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez eyes FA Cup glory with Aston Villa, fueled by personal ambition and desire to bring silverware to the club and its fans. Unai Emery, meanwhile, defends the sale of Jaden Philogene amidst Villa's quest for success.
Emiliano Martinez, the Argentine goalkeeper who has been hailed as the world's best by Aston Villa and its supporters, has set his sights on silverware with the club. In a typically forthright manner, Martinez has declared, "I want an FA Cup run."
The goalkeeper's ambition is fueled by both professional and personal motivations. Martinez may be rested against West Ham as Villa face a grueling schedule of seven games in 22 days, but his desire for a cup run is unwavering. "I want silverware for the club. I want a cup run and I was very frustrated to be knocked out by Crystal Palace in the Carabao Cup," he stated. "I think the fans deserve to be in Wembley at the end of the season. It is something missing for the club for many years. I want cups and I know the feeling it brings for myself and the fans."
While Villa's season has yet to reach the heights of the previous campaign, they are likely to finish in the top eight of the Premier League table and lie just four points behind fourth-placed Chelsea. However, the club's FA Cup drought stretches back to 1957, and it has been 29 years since Andy Townsend lifted the League Cup. Martinez believes in the team's potential, saying, "For me, anything is possible in football. When I came here the club were not in the situation we are in now."
Martinez's pursuit of silverware is not merely a matter of personal glory -- it is also a pathway to maintaining his status as the world's best goalkeeper. As the winner of back-to-back Lev Yashin awards -- the first keeper to achieve this feat -- he acknowledges the need for Villa to perform well for him to remain in contention for a third award. "I was talking to my agent, my dad and my wife, saying that you can't really enjoy awards. It's game after game after game. Once you get to that level you need to perform week in, week out," he explained.
Meanwhile, Villa boss Unai Emery has suggested that supporters back his decision to allow Jaden Philogene to move to Ipswich Town in a deal valued at £23 million. The Spaniard had initially wanted to see the England Under-21 international back at Villa Park and sanctioned a move to buy him back from Hull City. "We are trying to get the best for the club, the best for the team and the player. We try to make the best decision, trying to analyze each situation deeply," Emery stated. "Jaden, we believe in him, it is the reason we signed him last summer. We pushed a lot to bring him here. But after the last six months, he was not being consistent for different circumstances, and for the club, other teams were calling us interested in him. It works for the club."
As Villa navigate the challenges of the season, Martinez's determination and Emery's strategic decisions will undoubtedly shape the club's pursuit of silverware and success on multiple fronts.
