Chelsea Goalkeeper Martínez Hospitalized After Head Collision

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Anxious 75th minute in Chelsea's Premier League away match at Everton: In an aerial duel, Chelsea goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez collided heads with Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite. Both collapsed to the ground – but while Branthwaite got back up after brief treatment and continued playing, Martínez received medical attention on the pitch, was carried off on a stretcher, and taken directly to hospital. The 34-year-old Argentine world champion had left the stadium conscious, as Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso emphasized after the match.

Argentine football world champion Emiliano Martínez may have suffered a serious head injury in Chelsea's Premier League match at Everton. The 34-year-old Chelsea goalkeeper had to be carried off on a stretcher after a collision with Everton defender Jarrad Branthwaite.

What happened on the pitch

The duel occurred in the 75th minute in a challenge for the ball. Martínez and Branthwaite collided heads and both went down. Branthwaite was able to get up on his own after treatment and continue playing – for the Chelsea keeper, the situation was more serious: he received medical attention on the pitch. During the evacuation, he was able to move his arms, which was at least an initial positive sign. The match was interrupted for around ten minutes – an unusually long pause that immediately showed how seriously the scene on the pitch was being assessed.

Diagnosis still pending – precautionary examinations

Exactly what happened in the collision and how serious Martínez's possible head injury actually is remained unclear initially. Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso told broadcaster TNT Sports after the match that Martínez had left the stadium conscious and is »currently in hospital for precautionary examinations«. The fact that both the initial report and Alonso explicitly mentioned precautionary examinations suggests that the medical assessment was still ongoing when the match had already ended. Reliable diagnoses were not yet available at that point.

Penders celebrates his Premier League debut – Chelsea wins 2-0

Mike Penders was substituted in goal for Martínez, giving him his Premier League debut. Chelsea used the shock moment and won the match 2-0 – both goals scored by Portuguese winger Pedro Neto in the second half. After the final whistle, Neto sent a message to his injured teammate:

»We wish him all the best. This win is for him.«

Statistical context: First clean sheet in nine months

The evening also had a positive statistical note for Chelsea: it was the team's first Premier League match without conceding a goal in nine months. Everton simultaneously suffered their first defeat of the current season – a bitter evening for the Toffees, who had to take another blow after the shock surrounding Martínez.