Emi Martinez says beating Reading 7-5 with Arsenal was a “great experience” so early in his senior career.
The new Royals stopper joined the Gunners on loan last week, but he is already in the Madejski Stadium record books as being the goalkeeper for the north Londoners during the crazy League Cup contest over six years ago.
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Reading raced into a 4-0 first half lead with Jason Roberts, Mikele Leigertwood and Noel Hunt all among the men to turn past Martinez in the Arsenal net.
The Gunners stormed back to take the game into extra time where four more goals followed, including one for Pavel Pogrebnyak, as Brian McDermott’s Royals lost 7-5.
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Martinez has played twice against Reading since, keeping a clean sheet for the Gunners in a 2-0 League Cup victory at Emirates Stadium in 2016 as well as winning 2-1 for Rotherham during a Championship loan spell there in 2015.
But Saturday’s clash against Aston Villa will be the first time the Argentine will step out for a game on the Mad Stad pitch since that memorable 12-goal thriller.
“I was very young,” recalled Martinez.
“I think it was my first or second game for Arsenal. I was a bit nervous. Everything was going in.
“When you concede four goals in 20 minutes, it was ‘wow’.
“It was a great game and a great experience. The fans remember it.
“It’s not good for the fans to remember you concede five goals in that game but we still won the game.”
He added: “As a professional footballer, that was the game I conceded the most goals, by far.
“So it was a game I remember.
“It’s in the past, it was six years ago. I’ve moved on from that. I won’t concede five again, I was very young.”
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Martinez made his Reading debut and made some important saves during Tuesday night’s 1-1 draw at Bolton Wanderers.
He is expected to keep his place this weekend, particularly as previous first choice keeper Anssi Jaakkola is nursing an Achilles injury.
And the 26-year-old said Reading’s position in the Championship’s bottom three did not put him off joining.
“There’s always pressure coming to a team fighting relegation,” said Martinez.
“But I like challenges. I’ve been in the relegation zone at Rotherham and we got out. I went to Rotherham for the last eight games three years ago and we were in this situation and we got out.
“I believe we will get out, I really believe that.
“I’ve been playing in this league since I was 19/20. I’ve played for Arsenal in Champions League and Premier League games. I played in La Liga against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu and against Barca so I’ve got the experience to get Reading out and I will do my best to do it.”
