#PLStories – #EmilianoMartinez admits leaving Arsenal was tough but worth the risk #AVFC #ArsenalFC
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Emiliano Martinez is ‘really proud’ to have made the difficult decision to leave Arsenal for Aston Villa – after feeling like his former club had lost trust in him.
Emiliano Martinez said “I love everything about Arsenal. I still love them and I’m still watching the games, but I just felt like they didn’t trust me like they should have. That’s the reality because they kept buying goalkeepers to go in front of me and I was the goalkeeper from the academy. When I was on a high, I still felt like they didn’t deserve me because of the way they were treating me. They couldn’t guarantee me the games I needed so I thought that if they couldn’t guarantee me the games I needed, then I’m moving on. They didn’t say to me that I wasn’t going to play, they just didn’t guarantee me the games that I wanted to play. So, after 10 years, I decided to leave, and it was very difficult. My family didn’t understand why I was leaving when I was at such a good level at Arsenal, but it was my decision to leave and I’m really proud I did it. It was a gamble, but I always believe that if you stay in the comfort zone, you will never reach anything in life. I decided to take the step up.”
Martinez has kept 13 clean sheets in 25 league appearances for Villa – only Manchester City stopper Ederson has more this season.
Emiliano Martinez said “It means everything [to be able to show my worth and continue where I left off at Arsenal]. The way they welcomed me, the gaffer trusted me from the very first day playing me against Sheffield United. He could have said you need time to settle and then play later on in the season. But he played me in the first game of the season, and he trusted me. And when somebody trusts me that much, I have to repay them with good performances. That’s what this club deserves. The best of Emi Martinez.”
Martinez has underlined his reputation as one of the top-flight’s best goalkeepers since joining Villa for £20million in the summer. But the 28-year-old has revealed even his own family were surprised by the move after his heroics for Arsenal in the months beforehand. Martinez played a vital role in the Gunners’ FA Cup triumph in August, an occasion he found so emotional it reduced him to tears, having seen out the Premier League season in fine form as the club’s first-choice goalkeeper in the absence of Bernd Leno. 
He started in the Community Shield clash against Liverpool four weeks later, saving a penalty in the shootout, while Germany international Leno was on the bench. But Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta opted to restore Leno to the side for the opening league game of the season against Fulham, and Martinez knew that after ten years, his time in north London was up.
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