A year on, were Arsenal right to choose Bernd Leno over Emiliano Martinez?

Bernd Leno

A year on, were Arsenal right to choose Bernd Leno over Emiliano Martinez?

By Oscar Maung-Haley

At the end of the 2019/2020 season, an injury to Bernd Leno against Brighton and Hove Albion thrust Emiliano Martinez into the spotlight.

So severe was Leno’s injury, it ruled him out for the rest of the campaign.

Martinez, who had only made six Premier League starts for the Gunners, was something of an unknown quantity at the highest level.

During his time between the sticks, Martinez produced a number of stellar performances, even helping Arsenal achieve FA Cup glory with a win over rivals Chelsea.

When the summer window opened, much was made about who would be Arsenal’s keeper for the new season.

Despite Martinez's impressive performances, manager Mikel Arteta opted to stick with Leno.

And after showing that he was of Premier League quality, Martinez signalled his intention to leave, joining Aston Villa for £20m.

But, nearly a year on, were Arsenal right to let him go and stick with Leno?

The case for Martinez

Given Martinez had not shown anything to suggest he was of Premier League quality prior to his end of season appearances, his rise in stock over the last year has been incredible.

Since joining Aston Villa, Martinez has been one of their standout performers, with the Argentine shot stopper keeping 15 clean sheets this season.

Only Manchester City's Ederson, 19, and Chelsea's Edouard Mendy, 16, had more.

And again, when it comes to the most saves made this season, Martinez ranks third with 142.

Only Sam Johnstone of West Brom, 166, and Sheffield Unite's Aaron Ramsdale, 142, had more.

While the most saves statistic sometimes highlights how poor a defence is, Aston Villa had the joint seventh best defensive record this season, conceding 46 goals.

Had Martinez not been there, that record would have almost certainly been worse.

The 28-year-old has also managed to break through into the Argentina set-up this season, taking the number one spot for the 2021 Copa America this summer.

Emiliano Martinez

The case for Leno

For all the hype and talk around Martinez, you’d have thought Leno’s performances must have fallen off a cliff.

This season, Leno has remained as solid as ever, during a season where Arsenal’s performances have been hit and miss.

In his 35 Premier League starts this season, Leno kept 11 clean sheets and made 86 saves.

And while his individual numbers may be slightly worse than Martinez's, Leno was part of an Arsenal defence that conceded just 39 goals this season.

Only Manchester City, 32, and Chelsea, 36, conceded fewer.

However, unlike Martinez, Leno has had to deal with a revolving door of defenders and systems in front of him.

For Aston Villa, Matt Targett played in every single Premier League game this season, Tyrone Mings and Ezri Konsa made 36 appearances and Matty Cash featured 28 times.

Conversely, the most appearances for an Arsenal defender this season was Rob Holding with 28.

Despite the different cast of characters around him, Leno continued to produce at a high level.

While Arsenal might have been slightly worried about selling Martinez, it’s not as though they made the wrong decision.

Leno remains a top-quality keeper, and one Arteta has put his faith in.

So, did Arsenal make the right call?

Martinez’s form at the end of the 2019/20 campaign really put Arsenal in a hard spot.

Based on individual performances this season, Martinez would appear to have had the better season.

But one good full season does not make him a better player than Leno.

Clearly, Arteta favours the German international, trusting him to build Arsenal’s attacks from the back.

Additionally, the decision to sell Martinez could have been entirely financially driven, given that his stock was at an all-time high thanks to his performances.

Had Arsenal not sold him then, they might never have seen a figure close to £20m again, especially with clubs having their finances hit by Covid-19.

The reality is, one season is not really enough to be able to tell.

Given how strange the 2020/21 Premier League campaign was, next season might be a better indicator of who the better keeper is.

Photo Credit: Getty Images

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