Why Arsenal fans turned on Emi Martinez as Aston Villa keeper escorted down tunnel

Arsenal fans have made their feelings clear about Emiliano Martinez since his departure to Aston Villa in 2020

Arsenal fans had turned on Emiliano Martinez well before the incident that saw him dragged down the tunnel following his Aston Villa side's 4-1 thumping.

Footage of the former Gunners keeper having a heated exchange with home fans has emerged on social media. As Martinez trudged towards the dressing room area, one fan could be heard shouting: "You’re rattled! F*** off, f*** off, f*** off! He’s so rattled. Wakey wakey."

Others waded in and a furious Martinez turned around to give the fans a piece of his mind before being shepherded away in the direction of the dressing rooms. It wasn't the first time Gunners fans have goaded Martinez since he left for Villa in 2020 after a decade at the club.

After returning with Villa in 2021, he was serenaded with chants of "Aaron Ramsdale, he's better than you." With Ramsdale now long gone, it was David Raya's name who was chanted on Tuesday night.

The taunts are a measure of how far Martinez has fallen in the esteem of Arsenal fans, who haven't taken certain comments he has made about the club well. Martinez has generally been very complimentary about his time at the Emirates Stadium, insisting he still "loves" the club.

However, his comments about his shortage of game time - just 38 appearances in 10 years - didn't sit well with some. He told Sky Sports before the aforementioned game in 2021: "I just felt like they didn't trust me like they should have.

"When I was on a high, I still felt like they didn't deserve me because of the way they were treating me. They couldn’t guarantee me the games I needed, so I thought that if they couldn’t guarantee me the games I needed, then I’m moving on.

"They didn't say to me that I wasn't going to play, they just didn’t guarantee me the games that I wanted to play.

"So, after 10 years, I decided to leave, and it was very difficult. My family didn't understand why I was leaving when I was at such a good level at Arsenal, but it was my decision to leave and I'm really proud I did it.

"It was a gamble, but I always believe that if you stay in the comfort zone, you will never reach anything in life. I decided to take the step up."

Some fans interpreted the "step up" comment as a dig, although he presumably meant stepping up to be a first-choice keeper. Another interview, about his financially motivated reasons for joining Arsenal in the first place, also irked some.

He said: "Many people don't know that my family wasn't doing well financially at the time, and I decided to come here [to England] to help them. It wasn’t a football move: it was about helping my family. And I achieved that goal."

Ultimately, repeatedly discussing his Arsenal exit, as well as pushing the boundaries with time wasting and utilising the dark arts during matches, soured his once positive relationship with the Gunners' faithful.

Following a bruising night for Villa, who had been cranking up the pressure on Arsenal and Manchester City, Martinez will be licking his wounds ahead of Saturday's home clash with Nottingham Forest, while the Gunners visit Bournemouth.