Carragher questions Martínez's current level after Chelsea's loss to Arsenal
After Chelsea's 1:2 defeat to Arsenal, Jamie Carragher voiced doubts about goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez's current form, though he still considers the summer transfer good value.
Former England and Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher has commented on the performance of goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez, who joined Chelsea from Aston Villa in the summer, following the London derby which Chelsea lost 1:2 to Arsenal.
Chelsea took an early lead as Morgan Rogers scored in just the second minute. Kai Havertz equalised in the middle of the first half, beating Martínez at his near post, and after the break Martin Ødegaard scored the winning goal for Arsenal.
Doubts over the goalkeeper's form
Carragher said it was specifically the Havertz goal that made him question the Argentine's current level, suggesting that a couple of years ago Martínez would have saved that shot.
Still, Carragher stressed that the £7.5 million transfer remains good value, adding that Martínez is a better goalkeeper than Robert Sánchez, who previously held the Chelsea number one spot. In his view, the club needed a change in goal, even though Sánchez himself is not a poor player.
According to Carragher, the 34-year-old Martínez is no longer the same goalkeeper who helped Argentina win the 2022 World Cup. The former defender added that Martínez can still be considered a very good goalkeeper, just not the player he was at the peak of his career.
Carragher also pointed to a significant gap in overall squad quality between Chelsea and Arsenal, concluding that Chelsea currently struggle to compete with their rivals on equal terms.
