Aston Villa’s Emi Martinez surpasses Chelsea great Petr Cech in unwanted Premier League record in Liverpool thriller

Aston Villa goalkeeper Emi Martinez has set an unwanted record by becoming the first keeper to concede three own goals in Premier League history, Soccernet.football reports.

The ugly incident happened during Aston Villa’s exciting 3-3 draw against Liverpool.

With the Villans needing a result against the Reds to keep their grip firm on the last UEFA Champions League spot, Martinez made a mistake within the opening two minutes at Villa Park. He failed to hold Harvey Elliott’s deflected cross, parrying the ball into his own net. Despite his best efforts, the Argentine couldn’t prevent the blunder.

This own goal was Martinez’s third in the Premier League, setting a new record for goalkeepers since the league’s restructuring in 1992. Previously, several goalkeepers, including Petr Cech, Shay Given, and Kasper Schmeichel, had conceded two own goals each.

Martinez’s first own goal occurred in February 2023 during a 4-2 loss to Arsenal. Jorginho’s long-range shot hit the crossbar, then rebounded off Martinez into the net.

His second own goal was against Luton earlier this season, when Ezri Konsa’s header back to him looped over his head, hit the bar, and bounced off Martinez into the goal.

Despite these errors, Martinez has been one of the top goalkeepers in the Premier League this season, keeping seven clean sheets.