---
title: "Peter Crouch hails ‘critical’ signing of Emiliano Martinez"
canonical: "https://readastonvilla.com/2021/02/09/peter-crouch-hails-critical-emiliano-martinez-signing/"
type: "post"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Crippy Cooke"
section: "Aston Villa News"
published: "2021-02-09T19:00:00Z"
modified: "2021-02-09T19:00:00Z"
---

# Peter Crouch hails ‘critical’ signing of Emiliano Martinez

[Emiliano Martinez](https://readastonvilla.com/2020/12/15/dean-smith-hails-emiliano-martinez-after-wolves-heroics/) is enjoying a fantastic debut season at Aston Villa thus far.

The 28-year-old has played [every minute](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/emiliano-martinez/leistungsdaten/spieler/111873) of every Premier League game since [joining on a four-year deal](https://www.goal.com/en/news/martinez-departs-arsenal-goalkeeper-joins-aston-villa-20m/14ds7i6bu0ova140bu8bge4a3n) from Arsenal last September and has played his part in the Villans boasting the [fourth-best defensive record](https://www.whoscored.com/Regions/252/Tournaments/2/England-Premier-League) and the [second-most clean sheets](https://www.soccerstats.com/table.asp?league=england&tid=f) (11) in the division this term.

Former Villa striker Peter Crouch is a big fan of Martinez and hailed the Argentine as a ‘critical’ signing for the Villans, while admitting being ‘confused’ as to why Arsenal sold him.

When asked if Aston Villa were the league’s most improved team, he replied \[via [Daily Mail](https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-9234413/Peter-Crouch-answers-questions-Liverpools-four-hopes-VAR-controversy.html)\]: “No denying what an excellent year it has been. What impressed me was how solid they looked. The signing of Emi Martinez has been critical. I couldn’t understand why Arsenal sold him and was even more confused by that decision on Saturday.”

Martinez has made 21 league [appearances](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/emiliano-martinez/leistungsdaten/spieler/111873) this season and has saved [77.1% of 96 shots on target](https://fbref.com/en/players/7956236f/Emiliano-Martinez), so he has been a hard goalkeeper to beat.

The 28-year-old is also outperforming his expected goals conceded ([28.8](https://fbref.com/en/players/7956236f/Emiliano-Martinez)) statistics, so he looks a shrewd signing by Villa. He made only [38 appearances](https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/emiliano-martinez/leistungsdatenverein/spieler/111873) between 2010 and 2020 for Arsenal, but their loss is Villa’s gain.

### **READ ASTON VILLA VERDICT**

Martinez is flourishing with regular playing time and is staking a claim as one of the best goalkeepers in the Premier League, as evidenced by his performance figures from this season.

[Signed for £20m](https://www.standard.co.uk/sport/football/arsenal-20m-emiliano-martinez-transfer-goalkeeper-aston-villa-a4548496.html), he wasn’t a cheap acquisition, but he has been money well spent. Villa put a lot of faith in the 28-year-old and he has more than vindicated it, so Crouch is right to pinpoint him as a key factor in what has been a tremendous season so far for the Midlanders.