Aston Villa may not have been able to win against Nottingham Forest on Saturday, but reigning Yashin Trophy winner Emiliano Martínez did his best to keep them in the game. Martínez made four saves in the clash, but his save on Nicolás Domínguez in the 59th minute will be in the running for save of the season.
Morgan Gibbs-White took a corner kick that Domingez headed home, creating a chance worth 0.46 xG. Martínez’s reaction to that header was impressive since he did not have time to react but at that moment he maintained the level of the match thanks to his excellent play.
Check out this unreal save:
It’s right up there with the best saves Martinez has made for club and country, as he’s always been someone who steps up in big moments. During the 2022 World Cup, Martínez denied Randal Kolo Muani the World Cup final with the match between Argentina and France tied 3-3 in the 123rd minute of play.
That shot was worth 0.39 xG. Take a look:
When you need a goalkeeper to save in the most important moments, there is no one in the world you can turn to instead of Martínez. But which one was better? Not everyone is the same because circumstances matter. Therefore, saving Kolo Muani is better because he helped Argentina to a World Cup title. I mean, a save like that in the final seconds is out of this world with the weight of a nation on your shoulders. But that doesn’t take away from how impressive Saturday’s save was, and for many it was probably the most visually pleasing save.
From troubling players during penalties to dealing with things in open play, Martínez can do it all for Villa or Argentina. Over time we will see if this save ends up being the best of the year.
