Draw Martínez set off the alarms Aston Villa to the be replaced at half-time of the game against Chelseaby Premier Leagueand on top of that the Villains lost the two-goal advantage with which they entered the break.
The Argentine goalkeeper had received medical attention during the first half, specifically in the hamstrings of the right leg (they massaged that area)and Unai Emery replaced him after the initial 45 minutes, sending the Swede onto the field Robin Olsen. In principle, it would be a question of muscle overload and a precautionary measure.
Aston Villa won with goals from Marc Cucurella, against (4′), and Morgan Rogers (42′), but Mauricio Pochettino’s Chelsea, which did not have Enzo Fernández, who recently underwent surgery for an inguinal hernia, reached the tie through Noni Madueke (62′) and captain Conor Gallagher (81′).
On the hour mark, the Blues turned it around between a header from Axel Disasi and a rebound from Olsen, but the VAR called referee Craig Pawson, who annulled the agonizing victory due to a previous foul.
Martínez had not had great interventions in the first half. In fact, Nico Jackson converted, but the VAR annulled the victory due to offside, and he also sent a header to the post.
The drawing cut short 33 of the 35 matches in the current Premier Leaguewhile Olsen replaced him on two occasions: on August 27, 2023, in the 3-1 victory over Burnley, and on April 3, 2024, in the 1-4 defeat against Manchester City, when the world champion He suffered a fever.
The Villanos have a very important commitment next Thursday, a day in which they will host Olympiacos for the first leg of the UEFA Europa Conference League semi-finals, but The man from Mar del Plata is suspended for having received three yellow cards in the competition, two of them in the return against Lille in France, where he was a hero by saving two penalties. The rematch will be played on Thursday the 9th in Greece and the final is scheduled for Wednesday, May 29, right in Athens (Fiorentina-Bruges, the other semi-final).
Furthermore, the Birmingham team has three games ahead of them in the championship (Brighton, Liverpool and Crystal Palace), where they are fourth with 67 points, but with three more games than Tottenham (60).
But of course, Emi Martínez, absolute figure of Lionel Scaloni’s Argentine National Team, also aims to defend the Copa América title in the United States, between June 20 and July 14. There are 54 days left for the Albiceleste’s debut in the continental competition, although the final closing of the list is on the 12th of the same month.
