Emiliano Martinez just gave Arsenal vs Chelsea the fire it desperately needed
Morgan Rogers might have lit the spark on his own; adding Emiliano Martinez is akin to dousing that flame in petrol.
On Sunday, the Premier League will host its first ‘Big Six’ showdown of the 2026/27 season as champions Arsenal take on Chelsea at Emirates Stadium.
Their rivalry dates way back but has grown stale in recent times, and for the best possible reason too: the Gunners have dominated with seven wins over their past ten meetings including four home wins in a row in the Premier League, that latter run boasting an aggregate score of 11-2 in favour of Mikel Arteta’s men.
Expect more fireworks on this occasion, though, as Arsenal are the team to beat while the Blues may fancy their chances after a bright start to life under Xabi Alonso, with a bit of extra needle brought to proceedings by the involvement of one-time Gunner, Emi Martinez.
Emiliano Martinez will bring extra fire on Sunday when Arsenal take on Chelsea in the Premier League
Former players are easy prey for hostilities and the Argentine might just be the easiest target of all as he returns. He has ruffled the odd feather since his 2020 exit from N5, once saying that his switch to Aston Villa was a “step up” (in fairness, a reference to him going from a backup to first choice) as well as suggesting Arsenal “didn’t deserve” him, reflecting his anger towards the club buying goalkeepers rather than trusting him to shine.
And the hate his arrogance brings is compounded by his talent as a wind-up merchant. Nowhere was it more evident than during the 2022 World Cup final, when he danced in celebration of a shootout miss by Aurelién Tchouaméni and acted crudely upon being presented with the Golden Glove award post-match.
Arsenal vs Chelsea has not seen such chaos since the days of Diego Costa. None of Jorginho, Willian, Kepa or Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang did much to enrage anyone but their own fans, though one still holds out some hope for Noni Madueke bucking the trend (he is currently on that enraging-his-own-fans list).
Combining two 100% starts and some familiar faces only adds more intrigue to this blockbuster clash and it was much needed. Both teams could be involved in the title shakeup next May, and there is no one either Martinez himself or Arsenal fans would rather defeat on their way to Premier League glory.
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