Aston Villa star to look over his shoulder after what Martin Keown said in win vs Fenerbahce – ‘Incredible’
Aston Villa secured a vital 1-0 win away to Fenerbahce in the Europa League on Thursday.
Jadon Sancho won the match with a brilliant header from Matty Cash’s cross in the 25th minute.
Both sides had goals disallowed in the second half, although the Villans managed to hold on to secure a brilliant victory at the Sukru Saracoglu Stadium.
Villa are now second in the Europa League table, and Unai Emery will be confident that his side can go all the way in the competition.
Martin Keown was impressed with the professional win away from home and highlighted one unexpected star who was crucial in helping Villa secure all three points.
Emi Martinez to worry after Marco Bizot’s excellent performance vs Fenerbahce
Emi Martinez nearly left Villa in the summer, and his performance levels have dipped throughout the season.
The 33-year-old has made costly mistakes against Arsenal and Liverpool in recent months, and he certainly looks past his best.
According to FotMob, Martinez has a save percentage of 75 per cent in the Premier League this season.
In comparison, Marco Bizot’s total of 96.3 per cent in four Europa League matches is remarkable, and he was faultless against Fenerbahce.
| Stat | Bizot |
| Saves | 8 |
| xG prevented | 1.37 |
| Recoveries | 10 |
| Touches | 41 |
Speaking on TNT Sports during the match, Keown was hugely impressed when Bizot got down low to save Anderson Talisca’s shot in the second half.
He said: “An incredible save. I wondered if Talisca was a tad offside there.
“A let off that one for Aston Villa. Really smart save though at the end of it. It seems to have reinvigorated the crowd here.”
Bizot has proved himself to be a valuable understudy, and questions will be asked if he’s now good enough to become the first-choice goalkeeper.
Of course, Martinez’s pedigree can’t go overlooked, but Emery will certainly wonder whether the 34-year-old has done enough to take the World Cup winner’s spot after Thursday’s display.
Marco Bizot has been Villa’s most effective summer signing
Bizot joined Aston Villa from Brest to provide cover for Martinez.
He was called into action at the start of the season as the Argentine’s future continued to remain uncertain, and kept a clean sheet in the 0-0 draw to Newcastle on the opening weekend of the campaign.
Bizot has a pass success rate of 77.8 per cent per 90 minutes in the Premier League, and he has certainly become more comfortable with the ball at his feet in an Aston Villa shirt.
As for Martinez, he’ll likely be back in goal for Sunday’s Premier League clash against Newcastle.
However, he’ll be concerned that if Bizot keeps up his performances in Europe, then his starting spot in the league could come under threat.
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