Gabby Agbonlahor baffled as Aston Villa make decision on ‘Phenomenal’ Rashford
Marcus Rashford was one of the best players as Aston Villa beat Paris Saint-Germain 3-2 in the Champions League at Villa Park on Thursday.
Unai Emery’s team put up a fight against PSG but eventually lost the tie 5-4 on aggregate despite winning the second leg on 16 April.
Rashford was impressive against the Ligue 1 outfit, especially in the second half, leaving a lasting impression before being substituted.
Ollie Watkins replaced the Manchester United loanee with about 15 minutes left to play in the game, which shocked many.
Emery slammed for Rashford substitution in Aston Villa v PSG
Emery shouldn’t have substituted Rashford against PSG at Villa Park, Gabby Agbonlahor says.
The ex-Villan believes the English forward had his best game in a while and called his performance against Luis Enrique’s team “phenomenal”.
| Competition (2024/25) | Appearances | Goals | Assists |
| Champions League | 4 | 0 | 2 |
Agbonlahor couldn’t understand why Watkins was brought on and feels Emery made a mistake as the Lions were knocked out of the Champions League.
Speaking on talkSPORT (16 April, 8:11), the former striker said: “Rashford had the best game he’s probably had in two years. He was phenomenal. [PSG] were so scared of him.
“And when I saw his number come up, I was like ‘No’. You can’t take him off. He’s in his best moment in a Villa shirt. Don’t take him off. He wasn’t tired. It wasn’t the game to bring Watkins on. I think the manager made a mistake.”
Emery to sit down with Rashford to discuss Man United future
Wayne Rooney has suggested Rashford may want to return to Man United at the end of the season and revive his career at Old Trafford.
After being dumped by Ruben Amorim from the Red Devils’ squad, it seems unlikely that the 27-year-old still has a future there.
On the other hand, the Villans could provide a fresh slate for the Englishman to get back to his best.
Emery has shown faith in Rashford at Villa, and the Spanish manager’s encouragement will arguably play a key role at the end of the season.
While Champions League football may be necessary to convince someone like the Man United loanee to stay at Villa Park, whether the Lions get a top-five berth remains to be seen.
The Premier League table is tight, but the Villans are just one point behind fifth-place Manchester City.
NSWE will arguably need to dip into their pockets to sign Rashford next summer, and whether they will do so remains to be seen.
Emery will likely sit down with the 27-year-old winger and understand his plans before anything happens.