Aston Villa news: Expert baffled by Emiliano Martinez incident missed by BBC cameras
Paul Robinson is baffled by Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez’s actions in the build-up to Lucas Digne’s goal against Man United.
Speaking exclusively to Football Insider, the former Spurs and England number one insisted David de Gea would not have been put off by his counter part.
Digne scored a sublime free-kick in Villa’s win over Man United on Sunday (6 November).
As shown by Villans Together on Twitter (6 November), Martinez ran past the half-way line and gestured towards the wall and area in which the free-kick was being taken shortly before the goal.
Villa were eventual 3-1 winners in Unai Emery’s first game in charge.
When asked by Football Insider for the potential reasoning behind Martinez’s actions, Robinson said: “It was unusual.
“I have not seen a goalkeeper do that on too many occasions.
“I’m not sure how much influence a goalkeeper can have on an attacking set play. Perhaps it was an impulsive, spur of the moment kind of thing. I cannot imagine that it is his job to line up the attacking players on free kicks.
“I think it was probably something he spotted in the spur of the moment that he felt he needed to communicate to his teammates.
“From De Gea’s point of view, it would have mattered little. Goalkeepers concentrate on what is directly in front of them.”
In other news, Campbell ‘shocked’ by Leon Bailey controversy missed by BBC cameras at Aston Villa.