Chelsea signed Emi Martínez from Aston Villa towards the end of the transfer window as a replacement for Robert Sánchez, following a series of errors that had caused a lack of confidence among the fanbase and Xabi Alonso.
The new number one will need time to settle into his new surroundings and will be aiming to establish himself at Stamford Bridge, with Chelsea fans hoping to see the best of him as the season progresses.
The Argentine goalkeeper has conceded five goals in the two games he has featured in. While you can argue that four of those goals were not his fault, it remains a significant statistic and provides some evidence that he may have been the wrong man for the job.
That stat is possession lost, and while you may think goalkeepers are more likely to lose the ball because of goal kicks and long punts, it shouldn’t be an issue in the modern game, where keeping possession and playing progressive football are so important.
Against Brighton, Martínez lost the ball more than anyone else with 22 times, while against Arsenal, when possession was vital, he lost it 18 times.
His long-ball numbers also highlight how much Chelsea are relying on him to play from deep. Martínez attempted 31 long balls against Brighton and another 28 against Arsenal, showing that a significant part of his distribution has involved playing the ball long rather than helping Chelsea build possession from the back.
That puts more emphasis on Joao Pedro winning the ball in the air or Martinez being the playmaker that he has never been. This could be a contributing factor to the low possession stat against Brighton and the lack of build-up yesterday.
For comparison, David Raya, arguably the best goalkeeper in the Premier League, lost possession just 14 times against Chelsea while playing 28 long passes. Martínez therefore matched Raya's long-ball total against Arsenal alone, but lost possession four more times than the Arsenal goalkeeper did.
Small numbers but when Raya found his man it was quick and it gave Arsenal opportunities to break the press quicker and go in behind the lines.
The numbers do not tell the whole story, particularly given the difference in how each team builds from the back, but they do raise questions about Martínez's ability to provide the consistency and control Chelsea need from their goalkeeper.
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