Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez was involved in a heated exchange with Arsenal supporters and had to be escorted by club staff down the tunnel following his side's heavy 4-1 defeat at the Emirates Stadium on December 31, 2025.
The Tunnel Confrontation Captured on Video
Video footage shared widely on social media shows the former Arsenal player turning to confront home fans as he made his way towards the dressing rooms after the final whistle. In the clip, one supporter can be heard repeatedly shouting, "You're rattled! F*** off, f*** off, f*** off! He's so rattled. Wakey wakey."
As other fans joined in, an incensed Martinez spun around to face them before Villa staff quickly intervened to guide him away from the area and towards the safety of the changing rooms.
A Relationship Soured Since His 2020 Departure
This was not the first time Martinez has been targeted by the Arsenal faithful since his £20 million move to Aston Villa in September 2020, ending a decade-long association with the North London club. His relationship with the fanbase has deteriorated significantly due to comments he has made in interviews about his time at the Emirates.
While Martinez has often spoken fondly of the club, stating he still "loves" Arsenal, other remarks have rubbed supporters the wrong way. He told Sky Sports before a 2021 fixture: "I just felt like they didn't trust me like they should have... I still felt like they didn't deserve me because of the way they were treating me."
He also referred to his Villa move as a "step up," which some Arsenal fans interpreted as a slight, though he likely meant a step up to becoming a regular number one. Comments about his initial move to Arsenal being financially motivated rather than purely footballing also annoyed sections of the support.
From Hero to Villain in the Eyes of the Emirates Crowd
The animosity was evident during Martinez's first return to the Emirates with Villa in 2021, when he was met with chants of "Aaron Ramsdale, he's better than you." That particular taunt has aged poorly, given Martinez's subsequent achievements as a World Cup winner with Argentina and a Champions League qualifier with Villa, while Ramsdale suffered relegation with Southampton before joining Newcastle.
Despite the recent tunnel incident and the ongoing friction, Martinez has consistently maintained that he looks back positively on his 10 years and 38 first-team appearances for Arsenal. He described leaving as a difficult gamble necessary to escape his comfort zone.
The defeat was a significant setback for Villa's season, dampening their push to challenge Arsenal and Manchester City at the top. Martinez and his teammates will now aim to bounce back in their next Premier League fixture, a home clash against Nottingham Forest on Saturday.
