Unai Emery hails Marco Bizot as Emi Martinez’s calf pain prompts late Aston Villa switch | OneFootball

Unai Emery hailed Marco Bizot after the back-up goalkeeper stepped in at short notice as Aston Villa earned a 1-1 draw at Nottingham Forest.

According to ExpressAndStar.com, Bizot was told 20 minutes before kick-off to start at the City Ground when Emi Martinez withdrew during the warm-up, the third time this season.

The 35-year-old, signed from Brest last summer, produced important saves from Neco Williams and Morgan Gibbs-White to secure a point in Villa’s push for Champions League football.

Emery said Martinez reported calf discomfort in the warm-up, and stressed the priority was Bizot’s response to the sudden change. He praised Bizot’s readiness, experience and intelligence.

Martinez also pulled out of wins at Feyenoord and Brighton after feeling pain in the warm-up, while Bizot replaced him at half-time in January’s 0-0 draw at Crystal Palace. Asked if he could still depend on the Argentina international, Emery said his focus was simply on ensuring a good response to what happened.

Source: ExpressAndStar.com