Suzuki proves worthy replacement for Martinez at Villa
Suzuki proves worthy replacement for Martinez at Villa. Aston Villa new boy Zion Suzuki deserves as much credit as anyone for their first Premier League win of the season at struggling Tottenham.
What happened
Figure caption, Unai Emery post-match interview – Spurs v Aston VillaBySteve SutcliffeBBC Sport journalistPublished17 minutes agoWhile Johan Manzambi and Nicolas Jackson both scored, another Aston Villa new boy, Zion Suzuki, deserved as much credit as anyone for their first Premier League win of the season at struggling Tottenham. And on a day when things could not have gone much better for him, Suzuki ended up as the architect of Villa's second goal, with his booming ball forward from his own six-yard box dropping deep into Tottenham territory, where Jackson collected it and dispatched an unerring shot to the left corner.
Villa survive late Spurs fightback to earn first Premier League winNo revival in sight for 'fragile' Spurs after Villa defeatPublished1 hour agoSuzuki aiming to be 'one of the best'Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Zion Suzuki was named after Mount Zion, a biblical location near JerusalemBorn in the United States to a Ghanaian father and a Japanese mother, Suzuki has already played in Japan, Belgium and Italy and won 28 caps for his country. There was an errorAston Villa manager Unai Emery admires his side's resilience in their 3-2 away victory against Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League, highlighting the performances of striker Nicolas Jackson and goalkeeper Zion Suzuki.
The Japan goalkeeper made the move to Villa from Italian side Parma for a fee in the region of £30m in August. And his performance against Spurs suggests he is more than capable of filling the very big boots vacated by the departure of Argentina number one – and fan favourite – Emiliano Martinez to Chelsea. In particular, his two saves from Savio within seconds of each other and a moment of good fortune when Archie Gray's effort clipped wide off his foot, gave Villa the platform to ride out a period in the game when the hosts held sway.
The wider picture
"We needed the keeper," said Villa boss Unai Emery in his post-match interviews. And speaking to BBC Sport in August, Dennis Rudel – his former coach at Sint-Truiden – stressed that Suzuki has the attributes to become one of the world's best in his position. "Follow Aston Villa on BBC SoundsPre-match, post-match and topical Villa content Listen on SoundsSubscribe and listen for everything you love about VillaRelated topicsFootballAston VillaPremier LeagueMore on this storyLatest Aston Villa news, analysis and fan viewsAsk about Aston Villa – what do you want to know?
Emery praises Jackson & Suzuki after 'fantastic' win at SpursThis content is not available in your location. MATCH REPORT: Tottenham Hotspur 2-3 Aston VillaAvailable to UK users only. To make sure in the goal he has the quality and then he has the skills to play and build up. "It is very important how he is doing it and sometimes taking some risks, but through those he is improving and learning. "One of the attractions around signing the 24-year-old in August was his apparent assuredness with the ball at his feet and his ability to spray the ball forward with very little backlift.
What has been reported
"In the build up, he can choose to play long balls because he has a very long pass in behind and he did that for the second goal we scored," added Emery. "It is possible if he stays healthy," said the former Union Berlin coach. "With his physical strength, there is no-one better in the world in terms of dynamic, jumping power, throws and kicking the ball. "When I watched him at the World Cup [for Japan], his biggest strength was his mental clearness.
His focus on the game or in training sessions is so good. "He is aiming to show he can be one of the best. He was immediately one of the top four or five goalkeepers in Serie A. "As a person and as a player, he is a role model for how you should behave.
What happens next
When he can reach the ball, it is a 90-95% chance of a save. SubsectionPremier LeaguePublished2 hours agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingRelated topicsPremier LeagueFollow Premier Leagueclose panelYou are now following Premier LeagueUpdates from your Sport topics will appear in My Sport and in a collection on the Sport homepage. FootballFollow Footballclose panelYou are now following FootballUpdates from your Sport topics will appear in My Sport and in a collection on the Sport homepage.
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