Aston Villa Goalkeeper Ratings: Suzuki Impresses But Bizot's Form Is Becoming a Concern

Replacing Emi Martinez was always going to be a difficult task for Aston Villa, particularly given everything the Argentine achieved during his time at the football club, but I think the transition to Zion Suzuki has been considerably smoother than most people would have anticipated, myself included.

If we'd been doing these player ratings a couple of weeks ago, I think Suzuki would have been a certainty for an A*, because there was a period where he was performing at an incredibly high level and making the departure of Martinez feel like much less of an issue than many supporters feared it might become.

The last few weeks have been a little more difficult for him, with mistakes against Fulham and Manchester United attracting attention, but I don't think those incidents should completely overshadow the performances he's produced since arriving at Villa Park.

Speaking on 1874, Dave Reed made the point that Suzuki and Nicolas Jackson have been the two standout performers from Villa's summer recruitment, and he even suggested that the Japanese international has allowed Unai Emery's side to improve certain aspects of their build-up play compared to when Martinez was in goal.

I think that's a really important point because Suzuki has demonstrated that he is much more than somebody who can make saves, with his distribution allowing Villa to play in different ways and his confidence in possession becoming a valuable part of how Emery wants his team to operate.

There are obviously things he needs to improve, and Dave referenced comments made by Asmir Begovic about his positioning for Erling Haaland's goal against Manchester City, while there were also questions about his awareness of where he was in relation to his goal during the Fulham game.

Dave was also prepared to give him some benefit of the doubt for the late Manchester United goal, which he felt should have been ruled out for a foul, although he acknowledged that Suzuki may need to develop physically as he continues adjusting to the demands of English football.

For me, the important thing is that even in the matches where Suzuki has made mistakes, he has also produced some outstanding saves, including a brilliant stop against Fulham in front of the Holte End that I thought was genuinely world-class.

The figures we discussed on the podcast showed that he'd made 52 saves from 71 shots faced across his first 14 appearances, and although conceding 19 goals doesn't immediately sound particularly impressive, I think those numbers need to be considered alongside the performances themselves and the number of opportunities Villa have been allowing opponents.

Martinez made mistakes during the early stages of last season as well, and I don't think it would be fair to judge Suzuki more harshly simply because he's the new goalkeeper replacing somebody who was so successful at the club.

Dave initially suggested an A-, while I came into the discussion thinking B+, but having gone through everything he's contributed, I agreed that an A- was the correct grade.

Zion Suzuki — A-

Unfortunately, the situation with Marco Bizot is rather different, and I have to admit that I've become increasingly concerned whenever I see his name on the team sheet.

I actually thought he was a perfectly dependable deputy last season, and there wasn't really a point where I felt particularly worried about him coming into the side, but that confidence has disappeared following some disappointing performances this time around.

His four appearances have seen him concede ten goals, and although you can't attribute all of those to the goalkeeper, there have been too many incidents where I think he could and should have done better.

The Brighton game wasn't entirely his fault, but conceding four goals certainly didn't help his cause, while the second goal against Bournemouth in the Carabao Cup was particularly poor and left me questioning whether Villa have the level of backup goalkeeper they require.

I was also disappointed with his performance against Paris Saint-Germain in the Super Cup, because I didn't particularly like what he did for either goal, and I genuinely think Villa might have won that match with a different goalkeeper between the posts.

Dave was more sympathetic towards Bizot, pointing out that being a backup goalkeeper is an incredibly difficult job because you're coming into matches without any rhythm, often after spending several weeks watching from the bench, and any mistake you make is immediately magnified because of the position you play.

I completely understand that argument, and it's something that should be taken into account when assessing any player who isn't getting regular football, but ultimately Villa need somebody they can trust when Suzuki isn't available.

Dave initially leaned towards a C-, whereas I felt the performances warranted a D, which probably tells you everything about how differently we were looking at his contribution.

There is still plenty of football to be played this season and Bizot may get opportunities to improve that assessment, but right now I don't think he's providing the reassurance that Villa need from their second-choice goalkeeper.

Marco Bizot — D (Bardell), C- (Reed)

The positive is that Suzuki has established himself remarkably quickly and looks capable of becoming Villa's goalkeeper for many years, but the difference in confidence between the two options is becoming increasingly noticeable, and that is something Emery will have to consider as the season progresses.