Emiliano Martinez was involved in a heated exchange with Arsenal supporters as he left the pitch following Aston Villa's 4-1 defeat at the Emirates Stadium. Video footage shows the goalkeeper being taunted by fans as he walked towards the tunnel, with one supporter shouting: 'You're rattled! F*** off, f*** off, f*** off! Wakey wakey.' Martinez turned to respond before being guided away by a member of Villa's staff.
The incident is the latest in a series of confrontations between Martinez and Arsenal fans since his departure from the club in 2020. During his first return to the Emirates with Villa in 2021, he was met with chants of 'Aaron Ramsdale, he's better than you.' Now, with Ramsdale having left Arsenal, fans have replaced the chant with David Raya's name.
Martinez's relationship with Arsenal supporters has soured due to comments he has made about his time at the club. In a 2021 interview with Sky Sports, he said: 'I just felt like they didn't trust me like they should have. 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.' Some fans took issue with his description of leaving Arsenal as a 'step up.'
Martinez also spoke about his financial motivations for joining Arsenal as a teenager: 'Many people don't know that my family wasn't doing well financially at the time, and I decided to come here to help them. It wasn't a football move: it was about helping my family.'
Despite his warm words about the club, his repeated references to his departure, combined with time-wasting tactics and gamesmanship on the pitch, have damaged his standing with Arsenal fans. Villa will now prepare for their next match against Nottingham Forest on Saturday, while Arsenal travel to Bournemouth.
