Unai Emery has spoken to Emi Martinez about how to fix Villa’s defensive woes after admitting the goalkeeper is concerned about conceding more goals than normal.
The two-time Yashin Trophy winner has kept just three Premier League clean sheets all season, with Villa struggling for consistency in part due to an injury-ravaged backline.

Emery’s men have the seventh-worst defensive record in the top-flight and have conceded first in each of their last four league matches.
A constantly changing back four, meanwhile, has featured eight different players in the last two games alone but Emery is looking for answers, rather than excuses.
He said: “We were speaking about clean sheets with Emiliano Martinez and he is concerned – he is of course as a goalkeeper – conceding more goals than normal.

“We are being demanding because we are not happy, especially him.

“He is not happy when we are conceding a lot of goals and chances. And I think on Saturday against Chelsea, after my analysis, we conceded more chances than normal as well. This is what I am really focused on now.”

Martinez prides himself on clean sheets and set a club record by keeping 34 in his first 100 Premier League appearances. But there have been just 11 since the start of last season, with last month’s 1-0 win at Everton a rare shut-out this season and Villa’s only away from home in the league.

Emery, who takes his team to Crystal Palace on Tuesday for the first of three straight Premier League away matches, says it is the responsibility of every player – not just goalkeeper and defence – to help improve that record.

He said: “With Emiliano Martinez, with the centre-backs, with the full-backs, with the midfielders, with the strikers.

“We have to be compact and be disciplined tactically to do the best we possibly can to feel strong. We have to try to stop the opponent individually and collectively.”