Unai Emery reveals he was disappointed with Emiliano Martinez’s decision to go up for a corner

Aston Villa manager Unai Emery has revealed that he was disappointed at Emiliano Martinez’s costly decision to go up for a corner against Arsenal.

With Arsenal leading 3-2, Villa goalkeeper Martinez was trying to help his side get an equaliser during the final minute of their chaotic encounter.

However, his decision to go up for the corner backfired, with Arsenal launching a counter-attack before Martinez could back and Gabriel Martinelli was able to score unopposed. 

Emery stated that it was Martinez’s decision to go up for the corner and that he did not agree with the 30-year-old’s choice.

The Aston Villa manager also confronted Martinez after the game to tell him he made the wrong decision.  

Unai Emery (R) was disappointed with Emiliano Martinez’s (L) decision to go up for a corner

Martinelli’s goal made it 4-2 to Arsenal, with Villa frustrated as their good work was undone

It was a bad afternoon all round for Martinez against his former club as he was booked for timewasting and scored an own goal that proved to be decisive

Speaking after the game, Emery said: ‘He decided himself to go up. They are the protagonists but I told him I don’t like it.

‘I told him that… Maybe [goalkeepers] can score in the history one or two times, there’s more goals scored against you. [We] wasted more time than I want.’

It was a bad afternoon all round for Martinez against his former club as he was booked for timewasting and scored an own goal that proved to be decisive after Jorginho’s shot hit the crossbar and then bounced off the goalkeeper’s head before going in. 

Villa had taken the lead through Ollie Watkins, with Bukayo Saka then levelling for Arsenal. Philippe Coutinho put the hosts back in front but Oleksandr Zinchenko’s goal meant that the two sides were level again. 

Following their defeat to Arsenal, Villa remain in 11th place in the table having taken 28 points from 23 games.