Zion Suzuki Assigned to Villa Goal Permanently, Club Erects Second Crossbar Behind First
Aston Villa have resolved their goalkeeping question by bringing in a second Japanese keeper to stand behind the first, and the club has begun building a stadium annex to house the arrangement.
Aston Villa have taken the Fantasy Premier League differential debate off the screen and onto the pitch, announcing that Zion Suzuki will now defend the goal from both ends of the penalty area at once, with a second goalkeeper stationed directly behind him at all times. The club confirmed that the arrangement is permanent and that it applies to home and away fixtures alike.
Club engineers began work on Tuesday on a reinforced steel gantry behind the goal at Villa Park, rising to a height of eleven metres so the second keeper can watch the match over the first. Club officials said the structure was necessary because the second keeper had requested a view of the play that would not be obstructed by the first, and that a seat in the stands was judged to be too far from the action.
Suzuki, who has averaged 3.6 saves per 90 minutes, said he had no objection to the arrangement. "Two keepers means twice the chance of hitting the three-save threshold," he told reporters at the training ground, "and we have already worked out who takes the goal kicks." The second keeper, whose name the club has not yet released, has been added to the squad list at a price the club describes as no more than the cost of a single defensive asset.
Opposition managers have been asked to submit their fixtures in advance so that the gantry can be taken down and rebuilt on the touchline for each away game. Fulham, Manchester United, Sunderland, Ipswich Town and Everton have all been informed. The Premier League has confirmed it is considering whether two goalkeepers in one goal should count toward the maximum permitted number of keepers per match, and will report its findings after the international break.
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