Mikel Arteta has insisted that Emi Martinez will have the chance to become Arsenal's first choice goalkeeper when he takes Bernd Leno's place at Southampton.
The Argentine replaced the side's first choice goalkeeper following his knee injury away at Brighton, and despite conceding two late goals, showed himself to be sharp and up for the task at hand.
Now 27-years-old, Martinez has been at the club for 10 years but has had few opportunities to establish himself as the first name on the Gunners team sheet. His longest run of Premier League games is four [in the 2014/15 campaign] but now is the chance he's been waiting for.
"What I know about Emi is the way he prepares himself, how patient he's been and how much he's been waiting for the opportunity," Arteta told reporters ahead of the trip to Southampton.
"So when you do that, you expect when the opportunity comes to perform and put everything that you done in the past into the next few games to help the team and make yourself proud that it was the right decision for him to stay, work and behave the way he has done over the years at the club.
"Of course he has [a chance to be No.1.], if not he would not he would not have been the No.2. goalkeeper at Arsenal. The No.2. goalkeeper at Arsenal has to be ready to play, not just to be a backup player and make the difference for the team when you are needed."
Martinez has played 12 times for the Gunners so far this season, losing just three times [one being the penalty shootout loss at Liverpool]. Arteta will be hoping the 27-year-old can build on the introduction he made at Brighton, however, with a clean catch from a Aaron Mooy rocket announcing his arrival between the sticks.
Although Bernd Leno is set to be out for the remainder of the season, Arsenal were handed a major boost on Tuesday [June 23] as it was revealed his injury was not as bad as first feared.
"We thought it was going to be a more significant injury," Arteta said in his pre-match press conference.
We don't know the extent of the injury still but we know at least the cruciate ligaments are not damaged, which was the biggest fear at the start. He was more positive and in less pain today so that's good news."
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