Why Zion Suzuki had Glenn Hoddle raving in Aston Villa's rout of Fenerbahce

Zion Suzuki has proved to be an inspired purchase for Aston Villa so far.

The Japan goalkeeper was brought in as a replacement for Emiliano Martinez, who eventually departed for Chelsea.

Suzuki has been a revelation for the Villans since he made the switch to B6 from Parma.

The 24-year-old started in the 3-2 win over Club Brugge in Villa's opening Champions League fixture.

He was then named in the side for Villa's 6-0 win over Fenerbahce on Wednesday night, as Unai Emery's side put on a commanding display.

Suzuki will be key if last season's Europa League winners have any hopes to go far at the elite level of European football.

What was said about Zion Suzuki's display vs Fenerbahce?

Former England international Glenn Hoddle raved about the scenes at Villa Park on Wednesday.

He was particularly impressed with Suzuki in the first half of the contest, as he made several saves against the Istanbul-based side.

Before Nicolas Jackson put the Villans out of sight, the goalkeeper was needed a few times.

Speaking on TNT Sports, Hoddle said: “Suzuki has made two great saves now.

“I’ve seen him make some great saves for Aston Villa, but he’s also very, very confident isn’t he?

“More than confident with his feet. He can pass the ball, you can use him as an outfield player and at the moment, he’s settled in fantastically well into that shirt for Villa.”

That verdict will be no surprise to the Villa supporters, who have watched him every week between the sticks.

What do the stats say about his performance, though?

What does the data say about Suzuki's showing?

Suzuki had just 28 touches in the European clash, but it is safe to say he made the most of them.

The Villans star recorded four saves, preventing a total of 0.87 expected goals from the Turkish side.

He completed 88 per cent of his 16 passes in the contest, with a 67 per cent long pass accuracy.

Suzuki also made six recoveries as he helped to keep Emery's side putting the pressure on.

He has proven that the Villans can rely on him at the highest level, and if he maintains that form against better quality opposition he could play a pivotal part in their ambitions.

The 1982 European Cup winners will not be dreaming about winning it at the moment, but they will hope to at least reach the quarter-finals, where they were knocked out by Paris Saint-Germain in 2025.

Suzuki could help them to manage that, if he continues to produce such fine performances in the competition.