On loan Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford was the star of the show when Aston Villa dispatched Preston North End in the FA Cup.
Unai Emery’s Villa side have now booked a meeting with Crystal Palace at Wembley in the semi-finals, another testament to the great job the Spaniard is doing.
Of course, what must be so satisfying from a Villa point of view right now is that Monchi’s January business has made such a difference – both Rashford and Marco Asensio are contributing superbly.
Emery deserves big credit for the duo’s upturn in form, a manager who clearly knows how to motivate a player and make them feel valued.
That being said, Villa might choose to keep Rashford once his loan expires in the summer.
Marcus Rashford’s Aston Villa form is leaving Manchester United red faced
Harping back to Rashford’s performance against Preston in the FA Cup, all of Micah Richards, Alan Shearer and Gary Lineker were seriously impressed by the forward when analysing his display on ‘The Rest Is Football’ podcast.
Richards spoke at length about Rashford’s game at Villa, before his fellow two pundits concluded that the forward’s upturn in form wasn’t a good look for his parent club.
Richards began: “It just, and I hate saying body language because certain players have body language that looks like they don’t want to run, but Marcus is one of those players who comes alive when they’ve got the ball or in the counter attack.
“So sometimes when he’s not running around and pressing, it can look bad, but everything about his game, but I think it’s not just Rashford. I think it’s a system that he’s playing him.
READ MORE: Ian Wright spotted an issue with Marcus Rashford when he was playing for England
“So because they’re playing well, the manager’s got a clear plan of what they want to do. All the rest of the players press really well. So it’s almost like he has to join in, even though that’s not the strength of his game.
“But I just thought his all-round games, his runs were really good, very good timing – when to sort of drop off was very good.
“A lot of work was going down there, right hand side. He was finding space on the left. And I just thought it was a really accomplished performance.”
Shearer replied: “It’s not a good look for Man United, is it?”
Lineker added: “No, I was thinking the same thing.”
Richards: “No, no, but in fairness, Alan, it’s, and we didn’t have too much time to go into it.
“Where would he be or where would he play for Man United? So he’s not really a number nine, is he? He’s a wide forward, I believe, from the left.
“So if Man United want to play a three at the back and the wing backs, he’s not a wing back, and he’s not on number 10, is he? So that system doesn’t really work for him.”
Marcus Rashford’s wages would be very expensive for Villa
As mentioned, Villa will need to decide whether they want to pursue a permanent deal for Rashford in the summer, a forward who is currently earning extraordinary wages at Old Trafford.
Should he sign for the club, Rashford would undoubtedly become Villa’s top earner based on his current package, even were he to agree to a slight drop in wages.
Similarly, signing Asensio won’t be cheap for Villa.
Paris Saint-Germain’s asking price for Asensio seems reasonable, but the Spaniard is also on significant numbers, even if they pale in comparison to Rashford.
Some tough calls for Monchi and Emery to make, but ones which they have historically got right.
