Pep Guardiola is about to disappoint Emi Martinez as monumental Man City decision made

Emi Martinez’s ambition to win the Premier League with Aston Villa has just been made even harder to achieve.

The Argentinean already has a World Cup winners’ medal around his neck and he has been a key figure in Villa’s rise under Unai Emery when as they finished in fourth place in the Premier League last season and qualified for this season’s Champions League. But the goalkeeper has made it clear he’s not satisfied with top-four - having agreed a long-term deal at Villa Park until 2029, he wants a title winners’ medal.

Speaking earlier this month after defeat to Liverpool before the international break, Martinez said: “I didn’t sign up to be top five or six, that’s for losers. I want to be at the top of everything, my goal is always to win the league. Thinking about being among the top seven is for a loser."

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The problem for Martinez and Villa is Pep Guardiola is now said to have agreed a new one-year deal with Manchester City, ending speculation he could exit the reigning champions in the summer. His new contract is also thought to include an option for a further year until 2027.

And so any chance of City’s standards slipping, like those of Manchester United since Sir Alex Ferguson retired, has largely evaporated, making the challenge of winning the title for the likes of Villa, Arsenal and Liverpool even harder than it already was.

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