Peter Schmeichel tells Mikel Arteta that ex-Arsenal star is 'proving him wrong'
Goalkeeping legend Peter Schmeichel is impressed by Arsenal's David Raya but he thinks Mikel Arteta will still consider Aston Villa's Emiliano Martinez to be one who got away
by Alan Smith · The MirrorPeter Schmeichel thinks Arsenal got it wrong by allowing Emiliano Martinez to leave the club for Aston Villa.
And that is despite the former Manchester United star, one of the greatest goalkeepers in Premier League history, being impressed by the Gunners’ current No1 David Raya.
Martinez was never able to solidify a spot as first-choice at Arsenal and was sold to Villa in a £20m deal four years ago.
He has since gone on to win the FIFA World Cup and Copa America with Argentina, while starring for Villa as they reached the Champions League under Unai Emery. And Schmeichel reckons Mikel Arteta must consider him as one that got away.
“Martinez, I think he has proven Arsenal wrong, for sure,” Schmeichel told the Stick to Football podcast.
“I think he’s a big personality and I think he’s helping that team [Villa] a lot. Will he be able to do the job at Man City? I don’t know. To be honest, I don’t know.
“But he’s a winner, obviously a World Cup winner, he’s just won the Copa [America]. So he’s getting there as well.”
On the other hand Raya’s command of his own penalty area has impressed Schmeichel - especially when he is coming to claim high balls into the box.
That was clearly on show in the recent draw away to champions Man City, although his attempt to manage the game left the Dane less impressed.
“The thing is, that mentality, not a lot of goalkeepers are doing that,” Schmeichel added.
“But he does that, which I think he’s brilliant, he’s coming out in a period of the game, it’s fantastic if he does.
“But there are so many people in front of him, when you come out you’re looking at the ball, I [the goalkeeper] might run into the defender and then the goal’s empty, you think about that.
"The time wasting, I don’t like that bit of it, but he really, really kept his team in it [against Manchester City ]. He took the sting out of it."
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