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Aston Villa player ratings vs Fulham: 8/10 star is real MVP as Zion Suzuki has Halloween howler
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- Aston Villa player ratings vs Fulham: 8/10 star is real MVP as Zion Suzuki has Halloween howler
Aston Villa were held to a 1-1 draw by Fulham in the Premier League on Saturday evening.
Unai Emery made one change from the 2-1 win over Manchester City, with Leon Goretzka starting and Joao Gomes dropping to the bench.
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Nicolas Jackson opened the scoring in the 39th minute, despite having work to do after Johan Manzambi's pass.
The visitors tried to get back into the game with counter attacks, but Zion Suzuki seemed to prevent any opportunities.
That was before an own goal in the 64th minute, when he palmed the ball into his net.
The Villans were forced to settle for a point on a disappointing evening for Emery's side on home soil.
Johan Manzambi the real standout for Aston Villa
Manzambi looks like a real steal for the Villans from the summer window after his recent performances.
Faced with the loss of Morgan Rogers, they spent £59.5million on the Swiss star, and he has come up trumps in terms of replacing the Englishman's impact.
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He had 44 touches in the clash, with three in the opposition box, and made two passes into the final third, per FotMob data.
Manzambi created one chance for teammates, and made two line-breaking passes against Alvaro Arbeloa's team in a really great showing.
He also helped out with six defensive contributions, making three recoveries, two tackles and one clearance, and was dribbled past just once.
The 20-cap international won five of 12 ground duels, for a 42 per cent success rate, as he tried to help his side win the ball back.
He has emerged as a true star for Emery's side, and was the real MVP in the clash, rather than Jackson who will get all the credit on the Villa side.
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He was replaced in the 66th minute, but that may have been the wrong decision given his performance.
Gary Neville's Nicolas Jackson verdict backed up by Aston Villa stats - but is it sustainable? Zion Suzuki has a nightmare in Halloween scenes at Aston Villa
Suzuki had been on typical brilliant form until an error in the 64th minute - a true nightmare on Halloween.
He tried to catch Alex Iwobi's corner but ended up bundling it into his own net, which was labelled as an own goal.
The Japan international made four saves, preventing a total of 1.72 expected goals, but the game will be remembered for his howler.
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The 31-cap ace completed 91 per cent of his passes in the contest, but his rating is tanked as a result of the mistake.
Hopefully he can bounce back from it and does not take it to heart going forward, as that could cause confidence and handling issues in the future.
How Aston Villa stars rated vs Fulham
Zion Suzuki - 4
Matty Cash - 6
Victor Lindelof - 6
Pau Torres - 5
Ian Maatsen - 6
Boubacar Kamara - 7 (off for Barkley, 79)
Leon Goretzka - 6 (off for Mbaye, 66)
Alysson - 6 (off for Buendia, 66)
John McGinn - 6 (off for Garnacho, 88)
Johan Manzambi - 8 (off for Gomes, 66)
Nicolas Jackson - 7
Substitutes:
Ibrahim Mbaye - 5
Emi Buendia - 5
Joao Gomes - 5
Ross Barkley - 5
Alejandro Garnacho - N/A
