"HE’S STAYING": PETER SCHMEICHEL DISMISSES EMI MARTINEZ TO INTER MILAN TRANSFER TALK
Emiliano Martinez is linked with Inter Milan. Discover why Peter Schmeichel says he should stay and the latest injury news.
Here’s the latest on Emiliano Martinez and those Inter Milan rumours, with Peter Schmeichel throwing in his two cents.
Despite all the talk about a possible move, Martinez looks set to stick with Aston Villa this January. He’s been linked to just about every big club in Europe for a while now, and this time, the buzz is around Inter Milan—the Champions League runners-up from last season.
Inter is trying to sort out a replacement for Yann Sommer, whose contract runs out in June. Reports say Inter have started some early conversations with both Villa and Martinez’s camp about a transfer. Martinez still has three and a half years left on his Villa contract, though, so any move will need to make sense for the club—and probably come with a hefty fee.
Adding fuel to the rumours, Martinez didn’t travel with Villa for their Europa League match against Fenerbahce. People are wondering if he’s got his mind on a move, or if it’s just down to an injury. He’s been dealing with back and calf issues lately, so it could go either way. Still, his absence has everybody talking.
Now, Peter Schmeichel—who knows a thing or two about goalkeeping—is keeping a close eye on all this. In an interview with Birmingham World, Schmeichel basically said there’s no good reason for Martinez to leave right now, even if Inter comes calling.
Schmeichel pointed out that joining Manchester United would’ve made sense if the chance had come up in the summer. But that ship has sailed, and Villa have too much going for them to walk away now. Schmeichel put it plainly: “Emiliano Martínez will stay at Aston Villa. Why would he move? He’s at a top-four club with a fantastic manager.”
He went on about how he’s always rated Villa, calling them one of the best-run clubs in England. Their midfield costs next to nothing and might be one of the strongest in the league. Smart business, as he sees it.
“They’re in a good place,” he said. And as for Martinez, Schmeichel doesn’t see him leaving. “If you get the chance to join Manchester United and you want it, you do what you can to make it happen. But that didn’t happen, and it’s not an option anymore. I just can’t see any reason for him to leave Aston Villa. I don’t think he’s going anywhere.”
SCATHING VERDICT: ANGE POSTECOGLOU CLAIMS TOTTENHAM ARE "NOT A BIG CLUB" TODAY
Ange Postecoglou claims Tottenham "isn't a big club" in a scathing review of their transfer policy following Thomas Frank's sacking.
Ange Postecoglou didn’t mince words about why Tottenham keep falling short. He says the club’s refusal to really compete with the Premier League’s top spenders holds them back, simple as that.
Postecoglou got the boot last June, right after he delivered a Europa League trophy and ended a 17-year wait for silverware. Now his replacement, Thomas Frank, is out too. Tottenham sit 16th in the league, just five points clear of relegation, and they’ve got league leaders Arsenal up next. Not exactly a fun place to be.
After Frank’s sacking, Postecoglou went on The Overlap’s Stick to Football podcast and pretty much called out Tottenham’s whole approach. “If you look at what they spend and how they structure wages, they’re just not a big club,” he said. He saw it firsthand while trying to sign players; Tottenham just weren’t in the race for the big names.
In his first season, Postecoglou managed to get Tottenham up to fifth. But things went downhill. The next year, even with that Europa League win, they slipped to 17th. He’s convinced the club just doesn’t get what it takes to win, you have to take some risks, and they just won’t.
“I felt like the club was saying, ‘We’re one of the big boys,’ but honestly, they’re not,” he said.
Frank was Tottenham’s fifth full-time manager since Mauricio Pochettino left in 2019, even though Pochettino took them to a Champions League final. Fans are frustrated. Tottenham keep missing out on their transfer targets. Frank wanted Morgan Gibbs-White from Nottingham Forest last summer, but that didn’t happen. Arsenal snatched up Eberechi Eze instead.
Postecoglou, who later had a short, rocky stint at Forest himself, thinks Frank might not have realised what he was getting into. “There’s no guarantee with any manager. They’ve had some world-class people in that job and still no real success. Why is that?” he asked. “What’s the real objective here? Did Thomas even know what he was walking into? Who knows?
136-YEAR CURSE: BURNLEY AVOID MATCHING 1890 RECORD WITH A SENSATIONAL COMEBACK CRYSTAL PALACE 3-2 WIN
Burnley escaped a historic 136-year record! Read how Scott Parker’s men scored three in six minutes to stun Crystal Palace 3-2.
Burnley looked finished. Down 2-0 after just half an hour, with Jørgen Strand Larsen scoring his first goals for Crystal Palace, it pretty much felt like Scott Parker’s team were about to tie their old record: 17 top-flight games without a win, a streak that’s haunted them since 1890. For Burnley fans, the past three months have been brutal. Then, out of nowhere, everything flipped in six wild minutes right before halftime.
Hannibal Mejbri pulled one back. Jaidon Anthony levelled it. Then Jefferson Lerma, of all people, knocked in an own goal. Just like that, Burnley snatched only their second away win since promotion. It keeps their survival hopes alive, barely, but Parker knows they’ll need a few more miracles like this to actually stay up.
For Palace, this was a harsh wake-up call. Their big win over Brighton had just snapped a 12-game winless spell, and for a while, it looked like Oliver Glasner’s side were cruising to only their third home victory of the season, something that would’ve eased their relegation fears. But sloppy defending let Burnley right back in.
Burnley’s luck before kickoff didn’t exactly scream “comeback”. Parker had never won a league game in London as an away manager, and the team bus got stuck in traffic, pushing kick-off back by ten minutes. Palace, for their part, hadn’t lost at home to a promoted side since Sunderland thrashed them 4-0 back in 2017.
When Strand Larsen smashed in a gorgeous ball from Adam Wharton and then dived to head in Lerma’s cross after Kyle Walker messed up, it just seemed like Burnley were doomed.
But then Mejbri gave the visitors a lifeline, beating Dean Henderson with a sharp finish. Suddenly, Burnley were level. There was some debate about whether Lesley Ugochukwu handled the ball before setting up Anthony to score, but nobody could argue with the bottom corner finish – no chance for the keeper.
Then came the third: Bashir Humphreys’ header was stopped by Henderson, but Lerma could only turn the rebound into his own net. Palace trudged off at halftime to boos. Glasner sent them back out early, probably after some choice words in the dressing room.
Even with £35 million man Brennan Johnson on the pitch, Palace couldn’t break down Burnley’s defence. Daichi Kamada missed a decent chance, and Martin Dubravka’s save in stoppage time kept out Ismaïla Sarr. In the end, it was Burnley’s small but loud travelling support celebrating. Somehow, their team had pulled off a rare and badly needed win.