Marco Bizot surely won’t play for Aston Villa again this season after woeful reveal vs Newcastle
Marco Bizot was the villain as Aston Villa crashed to a 3-1 loss against Newcastle in the fourth round of the FA Cup at Villa Park on Saturday.
Tammy Abraham had given Villa the lead before Bizot was shown a red card for wiping out Jacob Murphy 40 yards from goal.
With Unai Emery’s side down to 10 men, Sandro Tonali’s brace and Nick Woltemade’s late goal ensured that they wouldn’t be replicating last season’s run to the semi-finals.
Bizot single-handedly cost his side at Villa Park, and Emery will undoubtedly be furious at his goalkeeper for denting his chances at securing his first trophy in B6 this season.
The Sofascore graphic below shows that the Dutch goalkeeper had an afternoon to forget, but the underlying stats this season show why he shouldn’t be selected again before May.
- Read more: Marco Bizot head loss, Lucas Digne foolish – Aston Villa player ratings vs Newcastle United
Marco Bizot has been an awful signing for Aston Villa
Having signed from French side Brest in the summer, the 34-year-old was brought in to deputise for Emi Martinez in the Europa League and the domestic cup competitions.
He has also featured in the top flight when the Argentine was unavailable, but he has a save percentage of just 61.9 per cent from five appearances.
Speaking on talkSPORT on 15 February, ex-Aston Villa striker Tony Cascarino was hugely critical of Bizot’s wild challenge against Newcastle.
He said: “The one decision the referee did get right was the sending off. I mean, he’s had a complete brainstorm. What are you doing?”
- Bizot kept a clean sheet on his debut in the 0-0 draw with Newcastle on 12 August
- He has a save percentage of 96.3 per cent in four Europa League appearances
- The 34-year-old was sent off for a reckless challenge on Newcastle’s Jacob Murphy on 14 February
What’s also been concerning is Bizot’s ability on the ball.
On Saturday, only 64 per cent of his passes and 40 per cent of his long balls were accurate.
In comparison, Martinez has a total pass accuracy of 72.1 per cent across 22 Premier League games, which highlights the gulf in class between the two shot-stoppers.
With the Villans now out of both domestic cup competitions, it remains unclear if Bizot will be used in the knockout stages of the Europa League.
Here’s why Unai Emery can’t start Bizot again for the rest of the season
While it may seem extreme, the bottom line is that he can’t be trusted in big knockout games.
Despite only conceding once in the Europa League so far, Bizot hasn’t shown that he is capable of stepping up when the pressure is on, barring one strong performance against Fenerbahce on 22 January.
Emery is desperate to win some silverware for Villa, who haven’t won a major trophy since 1996.
The Sofascore graphic above shows that Emery has to start Martinez if he wants the best chance of winning the Europa League, and Bizot may have just sealed his own fate with his sending off against the Magpies.
Although he has made 469 senior appearances in his career, he lacks the experience in big games that Villa will desperately need for the rest of the campaign.
For more news and insight on Aston Villa, visit Football Insider.