Gabriel Agbonlahor has come in for criticism from fans after deeming Aston Villa's Emi Martinez the best goalkeeper in the world.
Argentina international Martinez missed his club's Premier League clash with Liverpool, having won the World Cup final just eight days before the fixture. The former Arsenal stopper won the Golden Glove at the tournament in Qatar, celebrating with a lewd gesture that he later defended, and hasn't been rushed back into action.
Martinez has been a relatively late bloomer, playing just 20 top-flight games before moving to Villa Park at the age of 28. Now 30, he played a big part in his country's World Cup success, but Agbonlahor's comments were considered a bit much by some viewers.
"I think he's the best goalkeeper in the world, he's won the World Cup with Argentina, outstanding performance, some of the saves he made in the tournament," Agbonlahor said on Amazon Prime's pre-match coverage. "I think everyone watching the final knew they were going to win with him in goal.
"He's going to come back to Aston Villa and he's signed until 2027, there are no worries, they’ve done their business early. He's coming back as the best goalkeeper in the world."
With Martinez unavailable, stand-in Robin Olsen was powerless to keep Liverpool at bay in an end-to-end first half. Mohamed Salah put the Reds in front, with a deflected Virgil van Dijk effort making it two inside 45 minutes.
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"How is Agbonlahor calling Emi Martinez the best goalkeeper in the world?" asked one viewer. Another suggested the Argentine wouldn't even be the best keeper on the pitch, alluding to Liverpool stopper Alisson.
"Martinez not even in the top 10 keepers in the Premier League," was the view from a third. Another said: "Emi Martinez the best goalkeeper in the world? Knee-jerk reactions don't come much hotter."
Villa boss Unai Emery was asked about Martinez's World Cup antics ahead of the Liverpool clash. The 30-year-old has come in for criticism, and Emery - who also managed him at Arsenal - confirmed he would have talks with the Argentine.
"When you have big emotions, it is sometimes difficult to control them," the manager said. "I will speak with him (Martinez) next week about some celebrations, but I respect that he is now with his national team. When he's with us, under our responsibility, we can speak about it."
While there have been reports linking Martinez with an exit, Emery's earlier comments point in a different direction. "For me, as a coach, I knew him in Arsenal before when I worked with him. I'm so happy to be here and working with him again," he said.
