Aston Villa continued to get their season back on track in the Premier League after they secured a 1-0 win against Newcastle United on Saturday evening.
The Villans started the 2026/27 campaign with three defeats in the first four matches under Unai Emery, but they have since won two of their last three outings.
A brilliant header from Johan Manzambi was enough to secure all three points for the club against the Magpies at the weekend, as he got on the end of Joao Gomes’ cross to power a header into the back of the net.
Signed from Freiburg for £59.5m in the summer transfer window, the Swiss star has already racked up three goals and two assists in six appearances in all competitions.
How Aston Villa have struck gold with Johan Manzambi
There was no guarantee that Manzambi would be as impactful as he has been at the top end of the pitch for the Villans, as he only delivered five goals and four assists in the Bundesliga in the 2025/26 campaign.
However, the German side predominantly deployed him as a central midfielder. That meant that he had fewer opportunities to get into the box because his starting position was further back than it is as a number ten.
Five of his six appearances for Villa under Emery have come as an attacking midfielder, with the other being as a left winger, and this positional switch has allowed him to focus on getting into the box to score goals, as he did against Newcastle.
Playing further up the pitch means that he is closer to goal and it is easier for him to drift into positions between defenders to get chances, which is why the decision to play him in that role has been a masterclass by Emery.
|
26/27 Premier League |
Johan Manzambi |
|---|---|
|
Appearances |
4 |
|
xG |
1.43 |
|
Goals |
2 |
|
Big chances created |
1 |
|
Assists |
2 |
|
Tackles per game |
0.5 |
|
Interceptions per game |
0.3 |
|
Duel success rate |
48% |
The Switzerland international, though, does still need to improve the physical side of his game, as he has lost the majority of his duels and rarely made tackles and interceptions, as that may become a bigger issue if the goals and assists dry at any point.
Aston Villa have signed a bigger talent than Johan Manzambi
Manzambi, however, was not the biggest talent signed by the Villans during the summer transfer window, as the club’s next Jack Grealish-level star is emerging.
Grealish scored 32 goals in 213 appearances for Villa in all competitions, becoming the team’s superstar performer during his time at the club, before being sold to Manchester City for £100m in 2021.
Aston Villa paid £30m to sign goalkeeper Zion Suzuki from Parma in the summer window as a replacement for long-term number one Emi Martinez, who left big gloves to fill.
The Japan international looks like one of the best signings made by the club in years, as he has hit the ground running and performed to an incredibly high level between the sticks.
Suzuki kept a clean sheet, preventing 0.25 xG, and showcased his all-round quality as a goalkeeper by coming out to claim five crosses under pressure, whilst also making two punches and completing one sweeping action.
The 24-year-old star has not only performed well in the Premier League, though, as the stopper has also starred in the Champions League this season.
|
26/27 Champions League |
Zion Suzuki |
|---|---|
|
Appearances |
2 |
|
Goals conceded |
2 |
|
Saves |
9 |
|
Save success rate |
82% |
|
Goals prevented |
+1.65 |
|
Clean sheets |
1 |
|
Run-out success rate |
100% |
His saves almost prevented two goals in the two games against Fenerbahce and Club Brugge, as he saved nine of the 11 shots on target against him in the two matches.
Suzuki looks like an even bigger talent than Manzambi and a Grealish-level star for Villa because of how complete his game is. There are no weaknesses in his play as a goalkeeper, because he is an excellent passer, he is physical and can claim crosses, he can make top saves, and he comes off his line to sweep up.
Against Fenerbahce, for example, the goalkeeper prevented 1.06 xG with four saves, completed 88% of his attempted passes, claimed one cross under pressure, and only lost possession three times in the 90 minutes.
Suzuki already looks like an elite goalkeeper who can win vital points for Villa in several ways, whether that is as a shot-stopper, as a passer, or as a dominant force in his box, whilst Manzambi still has a way to go out of possession to go along with his attacking skills.
The Japanese star has been a revelation at Villa Park, due to the completness of his displays, and he may go on to be sold for a pretty penny in the future, as Grealish was, if he continues to be one of the top players in his position in the Premier League.
