How Marcus Rashford’s Ongoing Comeback Paved the Way for Aston Villa’s FA Cup Triumph at Preston

Unai Emery and cup competitions in European football are forging a partnership that’s proving exceptional.

From the 2013/14 season to 2020/21, the Spanish manager celebrated four Europa League triumphs (three with Sevilla and one with Villarreal), alongside finishing as runner-up with Arsenal. Additionally, he clinched two French Cups and two League Cups with Paris Saint-Germain.

While his ability to guide teams through league campaigns is commendable, it’s evident that Emery thrives in the intense environment of knockout tournaments, showcasing proficiency in both strategy and implementation.

The latter stages of many cup competitions often coincide with the crucial part of the season, marked by injuries and the pressure of weekly ‘cup finals.’ Given these challenges, Emery’s track record is impressive.

In the FA Cup tie between Preston North End and Aston Villa, a potential upset seemed possible, yet Emery tactically navigated the match with finesse.

Villa’s Commanding Performance despite a Goalless First Half

Marcus Rashford broke the deadlock for the Villains only in the 58th minute—a testament to Preston’s resilient defence, making things tougher for the visitors at Deepdale.

Indeed, Preston had allowed just one goal in their last eight home matches across all competitions, with the team trailing at half-time in only five of their last 25 games at Deepdale.

However, with just one shot on target compared to Villa’s seven, no corners versus the Midlanders’ nine, and only 28% possession against Villa’s 72%, the match statistics tell a contrasting tale.

The final score—a dominant 3-0 victory—marks Aston Villa’s most significant FA Cup triumph since they defeated Hull City by the same margin back in January 1999.

The match also allowed on-loan Manchester United player Rashford to net his first goals for his new team, achieving this milestone in his eighth appearance and third start.

During his time at Villa, the team has suffered just one loss, with only Mo Salah (10), Bruno Fernandes (10), and Marco Asensio (7) being directly involved in more goals than Rashford (6 – 2 goals, 4 assists) across all competitions.

His two goals also mean no player at Villa has scored more in this season’s FA Cup campaign, and since his debut in the tournament in March 2016, he boasts a total of five goals in the quarter-finals— more than any other player in that timeframe.

To further highlight Rashford’s significance to his new team, he has recorded five or more shots and created three or more chances in two of his eight matches with the Villains, equalling the number of times he managed to do so in his last 113 appearances for Manchester United across all competitions.

Following his recent England recall, one might say he’s proven that a change can be as refreshing as a break.

In contrast, fellow forward Ollie Watkins has found it challenging lately. The centre-forward has not scored in his last 15 appearances off the bench across all competitions (spanning 399 minutes), since finding the net in his first substitution appearance for Aston Villa back in September 2020.

Emery’s Cup Competition Expertise Endures

In the aerial battle during the Preston clash, the hosts excelled, boasting a 73.3% success rate in that department. However, as traditionalists would argue, ‘if football were played in the air, they’d construct a pitch in the sky.’

This was the only aspect where Paul Heckingbottom’s side outshone Villa, but history will reflect that their team was outclassed in tactics and physicality, ultimately leading to their exit from the competition.

Upon reflection, Preston’s manager may lament his side’s failure to establish a passing rhythm, with goalkeeper David Cornell recording a solitary 30 passes — the highest of any North End player throughout the match. That statistic speaks volumes.

Eight players from Villa’s starting lineup completed at least 30 passes, with two others just shy of that benchmark, indicating that while it took the visitors until nearly the hour mark to score, they were never genuinely under threat.

Passing accuracy was similarly lopsided; only Emi Martinez and Morgan Rogers fell below 80% for Villa, while merely four of Preston’s starters managed to surpass that percentage.

Villa maintained their offensive pressure throughout the encounter, taking 16 shots, with Rashford registering four on target—the most of any player on the pitch. His eight touches in the box were just two fewer than the entire Preston team amassed.

The 22 tackles made by the hosts highlighted their commitment, but only nine were successful, just one more than Emery’s squad, who managed 13 tackles collectively.

Villa’s clinical nature when opportunities arose, with three goals scored in just 13 minutes, effectively ended the contest. In retrospect, Preston will see that they laboured diligently yet severely lacked the finisher’s touch when it counted.

From Emery’s perspective, he’ll rightly perceive that his side is on a promising path towards reaching their first FA Cup final since the 1999/2000 season and are poised to chase their first title in the tournament since the 1956/57 campaign.