Only five hours after Chelsea officially announced his eagerly awaited arrival, Emiliano Martinez stepped onto the Stamford Bridge pitch to make his debut against Brighton.
Manager Xabi Alonso immediately named him in the starting line-up, but the match soon showed that one goalkeeper cannot fix all of the team’s defensive weaknesses.
The 33-year-old insisted he was fully prepared to play, even though his £7.5m transfer from Aston Villa had been made public shortly before kick-off.
The Argentina international had, in fact, already trained with his new colleagues after completing the transfer before Friday’s registration deadline. The official announcement was held back for promotional purposes.
Martinez could hardly be faulted for the three goals his side allowed during the 4-3 win. That contrasted with Monday’s 3-2 victory at Fulham, when Robert Sanchez was responsible for the opening goal and may also have been at fault for the second.
The team has now conceded five times across two matches. Even so, its refreshed and dangerous attack has preserved a perfect winning record despite the problems at the back.
“The most important thing is that we won,” Martinez told Sky Sports following his debut. “It was far from a flawless performance, but we needed to secure the result and focus on the next challenge.
“I was brought here with a purpose. Our attacking trio is outstanding, and we can cause serious problems whenever we move forward. We created enough opportunities to settle the contest, including chances for Cole Palmer and Joao Pedro. Defensively, though, we must concede fewer goals.”
Former Premier League goalkeeper Shay Given praised the move and called Martinez an “excellent addition”.
“Martinez is a fascinating choice,” Given said. “He has only just arrived, yet Alonso wasted no time putting him into the side. That decision suggests the manager believes the team needs a player with his presence and reputation.”
Although Chelsea emerged victorious from a wildly unpredictable contest, Alonso must help his side manage games more effectively if it is to compete for the title, especially with a visit to Arsenal coming next.
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