Unai Emery backs Zion Suzuki after costly mistake costs Aston Villa against Fulham

Aston Villa were left frustrated after goalkeeper Zion Suzuki was at the end of a second-half error that allowed Fulham to score the equaliser, cancelling out Nicolas Jackson’s opener at Villa Park.

Nicolas Jackson continued his rich scoring form with an impressive display against Fulham. He scored his sixth goal in all competitions during October, putting Unai Emery’s side in a good position to take all three points. However, Zion Suzuki failed to hold on to Alex Iwobi’s inswinging corner midway through the second half, fumbling the ball over the line for an unfortunate own goal.

Emery defends Zion Suzuki after costly error

The goalkeeper had made some important contributions before his mistake, denying Oscar Bobb earlier in the second half before also keeping out an effort from Gonzalo Garcia. However, his failure to deal with Iwobi’s delivery proved costly for Aston Villa.

Emery was quick to defend his goalkeeper after the game, insisting that mistakes are part of football despite the disappointment of dropping points.

“This is part of football. He has played fantastically and is doing a lot of saves so he can make one mistake,” Emery said after the game.

Zion Suzuki will be disappointed with how he dealt with the corner, but Unai Emery was keen to recognise his overall contribution rather than focus on one costly moment.

McGinn misses penalty as Villa drop points

Aston Villa also had an opportunity to take the lead much earlier in the game but failed to make it count. Leon Goretzka’s header struck the arm of Sander Berge inside the box, with Villa awarded a penalty by VAR.

However, captain John McGinn failed to put Villa in a comfortable lead as his effort came back off the crossbar.

Nicolas Jackson eventually broke the deadlock in the 39th minute, but Villa could not hold on to their advantage after Suzuki’s mistake.

The result leaves Villa with three wins, three draws and three defeats from their opening nine Premier League matches. They remain ninth in the Premier League table, three points and six places above Fulham, but will be frustrated at missing the chance to take another victory at home.