Aston Villa’s new star has stated that his kicks are expected in each game by his boss as part of the tactics.
Aston Villa’s new star, Zion Suzuki, has made his Premier League debut. It was not an ideal one as he had to face the reigning champions and did not get the expected result.
Nevertheless, his performance was considered satisfactory for a start. The Japanese international has been praised for his footwork. Such was highlighted in the Arsenal game.
Suzuki shared his view on that, which appears to be part of Unai Emery’s plan, as reported on the club’s official site, avfc.co.uk.
“The manager wants my kicks, but I couldn’t connect to their goal, so next time I want to help the team to create some chances from my feet.”
The 24-year-old shot stopper had a fine display on Monday night. He made only one save, but his contribution with his feet was the one which stood out.
He made 27 passes with 63% accuracy, plus 13 long balls, four of which were accurate. The former Parma man also made 36 touches and two clearances.
He explained how he wanted to contribute with his feet.
“That’s something I think is my strength, so I want to make some chances from my feet. I just want to help the team. My strengths are to be confident and to play and help the team, so I want to keep improving.”
Suzuki does excel with his feet beside his hands. His contribution to the attacking build-up from the backline or launching a long ball up front to create chances has been part of his game.
Last season at Parma, he made 61.9% successful passes with 37.9% accurate long balls. Suzuki created one chance with 0.12 xA. He is familiar with the sweeper-keeper role, acting as the sweeper 12 times in Serie A.
During the 2026 FIFA World Cup, Suzuki’s performance was impressive too with his feet. His successful passes reached 64.5 % and his accurate long ball was up to 35.3 %. He also acted as a sweeper three times in the tournament.
His form has been certainly promising for a start. He could transform into a better goalkeeper with his feet compared to Emiliano Martinez. Perhaps Suzuki could even contribute more with his assists in the future.
The New Jersey-born goalkeeper had his own opinion about his debut. He was rather dismayed with the result as he was hoping he could help The Lions bounce back at home. However, the Japanese international is willing to improve his game.
“Our structure, our defensive line is a bit higher, so I need to help the defensive line as well.
“I tried to help the team in the defensive line and, in this game, every defender threw their body out and there were only two shots on target, but we conceded the goal. I think I could have done something, so I want to get better.”
The post Aston Villa new star stated the boss ‘wants his kicks’ in the game appeared first on AVillaFan.com – Aston Villa Fan Site.
