Top 6 best penalty savers in the Premier League since 2020 as Emi Martinez ranks 3rd

• Emiliano Martnezmade headlines on Thursday thanks to his penalty saves
• The Aston Villa man has an impeccable record in saving spot-kicks
• He is second in the rankings of best penalty savers since 2020/21

Aston Villa shot-stopper Emiliano Martinez has emerged as one of the best penalty-savers in world football.

Despite earning a reputation as football’s ultimate ‘bad boy’, there is no denying the Argentine’s abilities between the sticks.

He was at it again on Thursday, April 18 during the Europa Conference League as his heroics helped Aston Villa advance to the last four at the expense of French giants Lille.

The 30-year-old saved two penalty kicks, including a crucial one from Benjamin Andre.

Where does Martinez rank in penalty savers?

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The former Arsenal man’s impeccable abilities in penalties is no fluke, and he proved it during the 2022 World Cup final against Argentina.

Not only did Martinez crucially keep out France’s Kolo Muani’s goal-bound effort towards the dying stages of extra time, he also saved two penalties in the resulting shootout to help is teammate Lionel Messi ‘complete football’ by winning the World Cup.

But where does the 31-year-old rank in the tier of best penalty savers in the Premier League?

Opta recently released data from the 2020/21 season, when Martinez was making a name for himself in English top flight.

Since joining Villa in 2020, only two goalkeepers have a better penalty-saving percentage than his 18% from the penalty spot. He has saved three out of the 17 penalties he has faced.

Here is a comprehensive breakdown of the goalkeepers with the best save percentages since the 2020/21 season, with another former Arsenal man claiming the number 1 spot.

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Top of the pile is Lukasz Fabianski, who has the best penalty-saving record in the Premier League, keeping out five of the 18 spot-kicks he has faced.

Former Manchester United shot-stopper David De Gea comes in second, with three saves from 12 penalties faced.

Then comes Emi Martinez in third, which is quite impressive considering he only joined the Premier League four years ago and became a regular starter when he sealed his move to Villa Park.

Kasper Schmeichel, Liverpool's Alisson Becker and Newcastle goalie Nick Pope round up the top five, with two saves from 15 penalties each

Other goalkeepers who have saved at least two penalties in the Premier League in that time include Alphonse Areola, Jose Sa, Bernd Leno, Dean Henderson, Robert Sanchez, and Fraser Forster.

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Martinez nearly confronted by Lille fans

Sports Brief also reported on a curious incident on Thursday where Emiliano Martinez was nearly confronted by Lille ultras.

A video doing rounds online showed several fans trying to confront Martinez as he was walking towards his goalposts, amid jeers across the stadium.