Aston Villa have gotten to a shocking start in the Premier League with just one point in their first 3 matches and a position of 19th in the table. An interviewer would ask Unai Emery a question after their 3-0 loss to Crystal Palace regarding their goal keeping situation.
Emi Martinez wanted an exit with Manchester United looking like his destination and his replacement being Senne Lammens. However on Deadline day Manchester United would snap up the Belgian talent instead and there were no suitors for Martinez. For Aston Villa, Marco Bizot has been the starting keeper this season with Martinez not even making the squad.
Unai Emery was asked about Emiliano Martinez:
Q: The reason for his absence? “Marco Bizot.”
Q: Where is Martinez? “Marco Bizot.”
Q: Will he be your future goalkeeper? “Marco Bizot.”
Emery just saying “Marco Bizot” is smoking me to all the questions is smoking me pic.twitter.com/KTps43hFrh
— Noah (@YordanForHOF44) August 31, 2025
He is justifiably very angry about the whole situation and not to mention this was after a heavy 3-0 loss to Palace. A lot of fans have no idea about who their new goalkeeper Marco Bizot is exactly.
Youth Career
Born on March 10, 1991, in Hoorn, Netherlands, Bizot began his career in the youth ranks of SV Westfriezen before joining the prestigious Ajax youth academy at age ten. After a successful season with Jong Ajax their U21 side, he was loaned to SC Cambuur a second division side in the Netherlands for more game time and help him develop by gaining much needed experience.
Time at Groningen
He would get the much needed starting keeper status and play 17 matches in the Juniper Pro League. After his loan spell ended Ajax decided to sell him to fellow Eredivisie side Groningen for a fee of €125k.
During his time at FC Groningen from 2012 to 2014, Marco Bizot developed into a reliable goalkeeper in the Eredivisie. He played 50 league matches, with a total of 59 appearances across all competitions. In his first season, 2012-2013, he played 16 league matches, recording four clean sheets. In his second season, 2013-2014, he was a regular starter, playing all 34 league games and keeping nine clean sheets.
Move to Genk
In the summer of 2015 he would move to Belgian outfit KRC Genk for a fee of €1.50m. From 2014 to 2017, Marco Bizot played for Belgian club KRC Genk, a period that saw him gain valuable European experience and solidify his reputation as a top-flight goalkeeper.
He was a regular starter for a large part of his tenure, making a total of 74 appearances for the club. This included 42 matches in the Jupiler Pro League, Belgium’s top division. His most notable season came in 2016-17, when he was the first-choice keeper, playing in 30 league matches and 9 games in the UEFA Europa League.
One of the highlights of his time at Genk was his contribution to their deep run in the Europa League during the 2016-17 season. Bizot was instrumental in helping the club reach the quarterfinals of the competition, where they were eventually eliminated by Spanish side Celta Vigo 3-4 on aggregate. His performances on the European stage helped him garner attention from other clubs, setting the stage for his return to the Netherlands. He kept seven clean sheets in his 19 Europa League appearances for Genk.
Big Breakthrough
After 3 years with the Belgian side he would return to the Netherlands joining AZ Alkmaar on a free. Here, he set a new Dutch record in 2019 by keeping 22 clean sheets in a single calendar year. During his time at Alkmaar in 2019, he said in an interview: “I hope that’s the next step for me. It would be the best way to make myself better. It would be amazing to be part of a team in the Premier League and just to live in England.” He would have to wait 6 years for his dream to be realised as after his tenure at the Dutch side, he would move to France in 2021 for a fee of €1.00m.
Top Flight Keeper
In 2021, Bizot moved to French club Stade Brestois, where he contributed to their impressive 2023-24 campaign, which saw them finish third in Ligue 1 and qualify for the UEFA Champions League for the first time in the club’s history.
In the 2024-25 season, he continued his strong performance, with another 12 clean sheets in all competitions. He also made nine appearances in the Champions League for the first time in his career, showcasing his skills on the continent’s biggest stage. A particularly notable performance came in a Champions League match against PSV, where his heroic goalkeeping, including parrying away a long-range shot and turning away a volley, helped secure a crucial win.
His dream of playing in the Premier League would come true as he would sign for Aston Villa. In his debut he would keep a clean sheet against Newcastle. With the situation surrounding Emi Martinez, it is highly likely that Unai Emery will not play the Argentine and could see Bizot become the first choice keeper.
