Marcus Rashford scored his first goals for Aston Villa, helping them win 3-0 against Preston on Sunday, and reach the FA Cup semifinals for the first time since 2015. Rashford has rebounded well at Villa after joining on loan from Manchester United on February 2. He recently returned to the England national team, playing in the World Cup qualifiers against Albania and Latvia.
Rashford opened the scoring at Deepdale in the 58th minute by tapping in a cross from Lucas Digne. Just five minutes later, he scored a penalty after Morgan Rogers was fouled. Jacob Ramsey finished off the win in the 71st minute.
“It feels great,” Rashford said. “I feel like I’m getting fitter and playing better since joining here. I missed a lot of games before coming. My body feels good and I’m enjoying my football now.”
Aston Villa hasn’t won a trophy since lifting the English League Cup in 1996, but they have a fantastic chance in the FA Cup this season. Many top teams have already been knocked out. Crystal Palace and Nottingham Forest advanced on Saturday, and Manchester City will play against Bournemouth later on Sunday.
In the semifinal draw, Palace will face Villa, while Forest will play against the winner of the Bournemouth vs. Man City match. If City loses, Villa might be the favorite, especially with Spanish manager Unai Emery leading them. Villa is also doing well in the Champions League this season.
Although Villa has won the FA Cup seven times, their last victory was in 1957. In the 2015 final, they lost 4-0 to Arsenal. Preston is the only non-Premier League team left in the cup, and they haven’t reached this stage since the 1965-66 season. The semifinals will take place at Wembley Stadium.
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