Jamie Carragher has highlighted Emiliano Martinez's performances after Chelsea suffered a 2-1 defeat to Arsenal. The expert believes that while the 34-year-old Argentine remains a strong goalkeeper, he has not been the same since his World Cup triumph.
Analysing Kai Havertz's goal during a segment on Sky Sports, Carragher commented:
I think two or three years ago, the Argentina number one would have saved that.
The former Liverpool defender emphasised that he does not see the incident as a glaring error from Martinez and praised Chelsea for signing the Argentine for £7.5 million:
They’ve signed a man who was a brilliant goalkeeper and still is in the eyes of many. But they didn’t get the keeper who won the World Cup.
This isn’t a mistake. For £7.5 million, it’s been a great deal. He’s still a very good goalkeeper and better than Robert Sanchez. His presence will boost confidence across the team.
The first Arsenal goal isn’t a mistake. The goalkeeper just isn’t as sharp and quick as he once was to get down. Martinez was exceptional and remains very good, but he’s not the same keeper who won the World Cup.
Carragher also pointed out a significant gap in quality between the current Arsenal and Chelsea sides:
There’s a massive chasm between the two teams - in terms of starting line-ups and the benches as well. Chelsea will need time to reach that level, if they can at all.
Martinez made the switch to Chelsea from Aston Villa at the close of the summer transfer window, and the match against Arsenal marked his second appearance for the club.
