Emi Martinez has admitted he feels Aston Villa are title contenders.
The Villains have had a week to remember.
Tasked with kicking off the notoriously demanding festive period with two Premier League games against defending champions Manchester City and challengers Arsenal, Unai Emery would have been expecting a tough few days.
And while the Spaniard’s men were put through their paces, back-to-back one-nil wins have seen the Midlands club surge up to third in the table and sit just two points off leaders Liverpool.
The manager has been keen to keep talk of a title challenge under wraps, but goalkeeper Martinez, who spoke to reporters after Saturday’s win over Arsenal, failed to get the memo.
Asked whether or not Aston Villa should be considered for the title, the Argentine shot-stopper said: “Yeah, of course. When you beat Man City and Arsenal in a week, one game controlling them like I’ve never seen Man City being controlled before then suffering against Arsenal for 85 minutes, and managing to win again… I’m a believer mate.”
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— Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) December 9, 2023