Aston Villa's World Cup-winning goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez was at the centre of a furious post-match confrontation with Arsenal fans following a crushing 4-1 defeat for his side at the Emirates Stadium on Tuesday night.
A Disappointing Return to North London
The match marked a deeply frustrating return to his old stomping ground for Martinez, who spent a decade with the Gunners before his departure. The game exploded into life after a goalless first half, with Arsenal taking control after the break.
Gabriel Magalhaes opened the scoring with a powerful header past Martinez, before Martin Zubimendi doubled the lead just seven minutes later. A third goal from Leandro Trossard, confirmed after a lengthy VAR check for offside, and a late strike from substitute Gabriel Jesus sealed a comprehensive victory for Mikel Arteta's title-chasing side.
Ollie Watkins managed a stoppage-time consolation for third-place Villa, who now find themselves six points behind Arsenal in the Premier League table.
Tunnel Tensions Boil Over
Throughout the match, sections of the home crowd directed chants of 'You're just a s*** David Raya' at the Argentine goalkeeper. The taunts clearly hit a nerve, and emotions spilled over after the final whistle as Martinez made his way towards the tunnel.
In video footage shared online, an Arsenal fan can be heard shouting, 'You're rattled! F*** off, f*** off, f*** off! He's so rattled. Wakey wakey!' A visibly angry Martinez then turned and engaged verbally with the group of supporters, requiring Villa staff to intervene and shepherd him away to prevent the situation from escalating further.
Post-Match Reactions from the Managers
The post-match drama extended to the touchline, where Villa manager Unai Emery was questioned about appearing to snub a handshake with his opposite number, Mikel Arteta. Emery explained his actions, stating: 'Yes, but it's simple. You can watch. After the match, always my routine is quick, shake hands and go with my coaches, with my players, or go to the dressing room. I was waiting, I was waiting. Of course, he was happy and he was with his coaches and I decided to go inside. But for me, no problem.'
Despite the heavy loss, Emery expressed pride in his team's season so far, highlighting their achievement of 39 points. Arteta, meanwhile, dismissed the handshake incident as a non-issue, simply saying: 'No, that's okay. That's part of the game, not an issue at all.'
The result leaves the title race intriguingly poised, with both managers set to watch Manchester City's New Year's Day trip to Sunderland closely. Villa, and a chastened Martinez, must now regroup quickly for their next fixture away to Nottingham Forest in three days' time.
