Speaking exclusively to Football FanCast, former Liverpool goalkeeper Chris Kirkland has questioned Emiliano Martinez's performances this season for Aston Villa.

The Argentine arrived at Villa Park from fellow Premier League side Arsenal for a reported fee of £20m, and quickly established himself as an integral part of Dean Smith's starting XI.

The 28-year-old has played in every single league game since joining, and proved to be a revelation as he got off to a brilliant start with three clean sheets in his first four matches.

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However, he did see Southampton put three past him at the weekend, with James Ward-Prowse netting a couple of stunning free-kicks in the opening 45 minutes. And speaking to FFC's James Beavis, Kirkland admitted that the goalkeeper will be "disappointed" with his display against Saints, as well as some other hairy moments in previous outings for the Villans.

He said: "I was at Sheffield Wednesday with Emi (Martinez) and he did that sometimes in training, he backed himself because he’s agile and he’s athletic. He’s almost like ‘I want you to put it there and I’ll save this because I know I’m athletic, I’m agile and I’m quick enough to get over there.' But yeah I’ve seen it a couple of times this season where he's got away with things with players hitting things over the bar and you’re thinking 'you've given too much there'.

“Because with these players with the balls, all it's going to do is get up and over that wall and the ball does more than the player sometimes with the pace on the ball. So yeah, I think he'll be a little bit disappointed with that. I think he conceded a couple of them at Sheffield Wednesday as well, where he was too far over to one side. Now you've got to be not in the middle, but you've got to be just off middle.”

While things may have not gone plan for the Argentine last weekend, Kirkland believes that the former Gunners man made the right move during the summer transfer window.

"I think Villa is a good club for him to go to.

“At this time as well with no fans, that's probably going to help him a little bit settling in quicker.”

It will certainly be an emotional encounter next for Martinez, as he comes up against his former employers at the Emirates Stadium on Sunday evening.