Aston Villa maintained a three-point lead over Tottenham after winning 2-0 against Wolves on Saturday (30 March) at Villa Park.
The pressure was on Villa to respond after Spurs defeated Luton 2-1 with Brennan Johnson producing an outstanding performance.
Moussa Diaby scored a thunderbolt in the first half and Ezri Konsa scored in the 65th minute as Villa picked up three crucial points.
Gareth Southgate will be heavily impressed by Konsa, who made his England debut during the recent international friendly, as he prepares to finalise his team for Euro 2024 in Germany.
However, one player who particularly impressed was Argentina goalkeeper, Emiliano Martinez. The Sunday Mirror (printed edition) has hailed him as “world-class” for his terrific performance against Wolves.
The 31-year-old produced a magnificent save to deny Rayan Ait-Nouri who just needed to finish with his favoured left foot. While the likes of John McGinn, Douglas Luiz, and Ollie Watkins have got media attention, Martinez has proved to be their unsung hero.
Emiliano Martinez has been outstanding for Aston Villa
Aston Villa fans adore Martinez and they believe the Argentine goalkeeper is the best in the world.
The World Cup winner with Argentina has been the epitome of consistency for Villa this season. He was involved in two penalty shootout victories in the World Cup, and he is continuing his impressive form for Villa.
Martinez wanted to play in the Champions League, and doubts surfaced whether he would continue at Villa Park. Unai Emery has been weaving magic this season and Villa appear to be the right club that can match his lofty ambition.
Villa were nowhere near their best against Wolves, but Emery won’t mind as long as they keep picking up wins. The results are key at this phase of the season, and Villa are doing just enough to grab the fourth spot.
