Rashford baffles at Aston Villa – ‘Something is surely wrong’
Marcus Rashford has emerged as a genuine weapon for Unai Emery since joining Aston Villa.
The Manchester United loanee has hit the ground running at Villa Park, impressing against champions-elect Liverpool on his first start.
He then came off the bench against Chelsea to set up both of Marco Asensio’s two strikes in a thrilling comeback win.
If he continues in this vein of form, Red Devils boss Ruben Amorim will be made to look very silly at the end of the season.
Rashford form adds to Amorim’s woes
Former Arsenal ace Bacary Sagna has slammed the Old Trafford outfit after the re-emergence of Rashford under Unai Emery.
Speaking to Paddy Power, the Frenchman said: “It’s very difficult to understand why Marcus Rashford has returned to form at Aston Villa.
“He’s not the first player to leave and return to form. Antony left Manchester United and suddenly he’s shining with Real Betis, so something is surely wrong at Manchester United.”
Emery needs Rashford to solve Villa woes
The 4-1 loss to Crystal Palace (25 February) has left Villa’s hopes of qualifying for a second successive season in the Champions League in tatters.
They are in tenth place in the Premier League with the majority of the teams above them having a game in hand, some even having two and their chances look extremely unlikely.
| Premier League | Played | GD | Points |
| 4. Chelsea | 27 | +16 | 46 |
| 5. Man City | 26 | +15 | 44 |
| 6. Newcastle | 26 | +10 | 44 |
| 7.Bournemouth | 27 | +13 | 43 |
| 8. Brighton | 27 | +5 | 43 |
| 9. Fulham | 27 | +4 | 42 |
| 10. Aston Villa | 28 | -5 | 42 |
Their only way to get back into Europe’s premier competition may be to win this season’s edition, which seems a tall task given that the Villans are in the same bracket as Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, Liverpool, and Arsenal.
If Emery’s side are to catch those above them and secure a berth in the elite echelons of the game for the second time in two seasons, they need allow Rashford to step up after his encouraging cameos so far.
The Spaniard needs to start trusting the United loanee to feature from the beginning of matches rather than coming off the bench to make an impact.
The Three Lions ace could be the difference in how Villa’s season pans out, if Emery decides to start him due to the devastating impact that he can have on the wings.
Rashford and the rest of the side will be looking to bounce back against in their next league match against Brentford (8 March) but have FA Cup and Champions League contests to deal with first.