Sam Allardyce says £20m Aston Villa player has been unbelievable

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Sam Allardyce has named the Aston Villa player he believes has been unbelievable so far this season with Unai Emery’s men within touching distance of the Premier League summit.

The Villans have definitely been one of the surprise packages of the season so far. Few would have expected that Villa would be within one point of top spot so close to January. There is a chance that they could be top of the table on Christmas Day.

Picking Villa’s standout player would be extremely challenging. Ollie Watkins has nine goals so far, while Leon Bailey is into double figures for goal involvements. Meanwhile, some may feel that John McGinn is not getting the credit he deserves.

Sam Allardyce lauds Emiliano Martinez

Sam Allardyce has told No Tippy Tappy Football that Villa have two players who are the most important, with Emiliano Martinez alongside Watkins in his mind. And he suggested that the Argentinian has been exceptional so far this season.

“Unbelievable,” he said.

“But the goalie, some of the saves he’s pulling off. The defence look at him and go, he’ll save that one. And he is doing. So he seems to have the bit between his teeth.”

A steal at £20 million

Of course, it is hard to argue that anyone in the Villa squad has proved to be a bigger bargain than McGinn. The skipper arrived for a staggering £2 million while the club were in the Championship.

But it is remarkable that the Villans spent £20 million on Martinez while he was at Arsenal.

Martinez has gone on to achieve so much while at Villa, including winning the Copa America and the World Cup with his country.

Some would argue that Martinez is the best goalkeeper in the world right now. And that experience of helping Argentina get over the line may well help now that Villa are looking set to launch a title challenge this season.