Emiliano Martinez has immediately made his presence felt at Chelsea, producing the highest number of saves among all goalkeepers who featured on Matchday 3 of the Premier League.
The Argentina international made eight saves, more than any other goalkeeper during the round of fixtures, underlining the impact he has already had since completing his move to Stamford Bridge.
Martinez’s performance will be particularly encouraging for Chelsea supporters following the heavy criticism that surrounded Robert Sanchez during his time as the club’s first-choice goalkeeper.
The Blues have now replaced Sanchez with one of the most experienced and highly regarded goalkeepers in the Premier League, with Martinez’s latest display providing an early indication of what he can offer Xabi Alonso’s side.
Softfootball reported earlier that Martinez had changed his Chelsea shirt number just days after receiving approval from former captain John Terry to wear the iconic No.26 shirt at Stamford Bridge.
The 33-year-old completed a late move to Chelsea from Aston Villa in a £7.5million deal and initially selected the No.26, a number famously associated with Terry during his legendary career with the Blues.
Martinez even wore the number during his Chelsea debut, helping the club secure a dramatic 4-3 victory over Brighton & Hove Albion at Stamford Bridge.
However, his stay in Terry’s famous shirt number proved to be short-lived.
Following Sanchez’s loan move to Como, Chelsea’s traditional No.1 shirt became available, allowing Martinez to take the number usually reserved for the club’s first-choice goalkeeper.
Chelsea subsequently confirmed that Martinez had switched to the No.1 shirt, bringing an end to his brief spell wearing No.26.
Despite the change, supporters who purchased Chelsea shirts with “Martinez 26” could now own a unique piece of the goalkeeper’s early Stamford Bridge story.
More importantly, Martinez’s performances on the pitch are already beginning to justify Chelsea’s decision to bring him to the club.
Making eight saves on Matchday 3, the most by any goalkeeper across the Premier League fixtures, represents a strong individual statistic and could prove significant as Chelsea look to build greater defensive stability.
After previously enduring uncertainty between the posts, Chelsea now have a World Cup-winning goalkeeper with extensive Premier League experience. Martinez’s early impact suggests the Blues could finally have a goalkeeper capable of providing consistency, authority and big-game saves when the team needs them most.
