Dean Smith believes Aston Villa are in safe hands after landing Emiliano Martinez
Dean Smith believes Arsenal’s loss has very much been Villa’s gain as goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez prepares to face his former club on Sunday.
Martinez will return to the Emirates for the first time since leaving for Villa in a £20million deal during the opening week of the Premier League season.
The 28-year-old, who spent a decade with the Gunners, wasted little time making a big impression on new boss Smith, who admires his hunger and describes his arrival as having been “a breath of fresh air”.
Villa regarded Martinez’s signing as a coup, particularly considering the Argentine had played a key role in helping Mikel Arteta’s team win both the FA Cup and the Community Shield.
But after failing to receive assurances he would remain No.1 once Bernd Leno had returned from injury, Martinez decided to leave and Villa – who were targeting an experienced Premier League keeper – wasted little time in seizing the opportunity.
“I have a few Arsenal-supporting mates who were a little bit surprised when we managed to get him,” said Smith.
“I did get some not particularly glowing text messages from them after we took him. For us it was a statement of intent.
“I think it is always a wrench when you leave a club you have been at for so long, because it is the norm and you are going from there to somewhere you don’t know.
“Emi played at the end of last season and won the FA Cup, the Community Shield at the start of this season and probably saw himself as being the No.1 at Arsenal. I think that maybe wasn’t guaranteed for him and we are the happy recipients.
“He spent a long time at Arsenal and it will be special for him to go back there but he is focused on his career at Villa now and making sure he is the best he can be.”
Smith also pointed to the role of goalkeeping coach Neil Cutler in convincing Martinez, who was yesterday named in the Argentina squad for their upcoming World Cup qualifiers, that Villa was the place to be.
Previously part of Smith’s coaching staff at Walsall, Cutler has established an impressive track record through his work with Neil Etheridge and Villa’s Jed Steer among others.
Smith said: “Neil is one of the top goalkeeping coaches in the game. Emi had seen the fact he has improved so many keepers and he will go and improve Emi as well.
“There’s a real enthusiasm about Emi, when he first came into the club about what he wanted to do and how he wanted to do it.
“He’s a proud South American who wants to get to the top of the game. He is ambitious and believes playing for Villa right now will help him get where he wants to.”
Martinez, admittedly, returns to Arsenal on the back of two matches in which he has conceded seven goals, though very little of the blame for Villa’s defensive issues in defeats to Leeds and Southampton could be placed at his door.
Nevertheless, back-to-back losses have knocked some of the gloss off what was previously an excellent start to the campaign.
“They players are still confident, that’s for sure,” said Smith. “They want to put it right.
“We believe that we have a really good squad and players that can play the way that we want to play.”
Winger Bertrand Traore will miss out due to a thigh strain sustained in last Sunday’s defeat to Southampton. Smith expects the 25-year-old to be back in contention when Villa host Brighton after the international break. Trezeguet will likely return to the starting line-up.
