Brighton 0-3 Aston Villa: Marcus Rashford scores his FIRST Premier League goal since loan move - as he, Marco Asensio and Donyell Malen steer Unai Emery's side up to seventh

There are not galore clubs successful Europe, fto unsocial the Premier League, who tin nonstop connected players arsenic talented arsenic Ollie Watkins and Marco Asensio erstwhile things request switching up.

Yet Unai Emery has precisely those options connected his seat and they helped transportation Aston Villa different measurement towards their targets connected 3 fronts.

So galore managers crossed the satellite would commercialized their squad with Emery’s contiguous and that extent is wherefore Villa are besides successful the FA Cup semi-finals and look a Champions League quarter-final against Paris Saint-Germain, with the archetypal limb successful France adjacent Wednesday. They are lone 2 points abbreviated of 5th place, which is apt to bring Champions League shot adjacent term.

After Asensio’s chap indebtedness prima Marcus Rashford had fixed Villa the pb with his archetypal league extremity for the club, the Spaniard scored his eighth successful each competitions and chap substitute Donyell Malen added a 3rd successful stoppage time. That made it six wins successful a enactment for Emery’s men, and a 3rd successful 2 games for Rashford since joining from Manchester United successful the winter.

‘Now is not the clip to talk astir it (Rashford joining permanently),’ said Emery. ‘It’s not the aforesaid determination if we are successful the Champions League adjacent season, arsenic opposed to the Europa League, the Conference League oregon not successful Europe astatine all.

‘He is present due to the fact that helium wanted to beryllium here, to play football, consciousness assured and effort to assistance us. We signed him due to the fact that we were reasoning astir however overmuch helium could assistance us.

‘By the extremity of the season, hopefully we tin get the champion for him and for us, successful antithetic competitions. If helium gets backmost to his champion level here, I americium blessed for him and the team.’

Brighton had their moments. Yasin Ayari deed the station and Simon Adingra had a extremity controversially ruled retired by VAR for a handball by Kaoru Mitoma successful the build-up, yet Villa were deserved winners.

They person laboured for overmuch of the run yet look the concern now.

After scoring doubly successful the FA Cup triumph astatine Preston, Rashford kept his spot arsenic Villa’s cardinal striker up of Watkins.

Midway done the half, Mitoma acceptable up Simon Adingra for a 20-yard effort that astir grazed the station and Emery was increasing agitated. The Villa brag was unhappy with Albion main Fabian Hurzeler wandering extracurricular his method country and gestured forcefully for the German to return.

Emery’s temper did not amended erstwhile Jack Hinshelwood appeared to travel Jacob Ramsey successful the box. After a agelong VAR check, referee Stuart Attwell was told to instrumentality with his archetypal call.

If Villa were unlucky there, they got distant with 1 conscionable earlier half-time. Yasin Ayari’s free-kick twanged the station and the rebound bounced disconnected Ramsey’s arm. Once again, nary penalty.

Where Rashford had been connected his heels astatine the commencement of the archetypal half, helium was close connected the wealth aboriginal successful the 2nd to springiness Villa the lead.

When a Brighton country was cleared to Morgan Rogers, the attacker deed an outstanding agelong walk with his weaker near ft to nonstop Rashford scampering down the Albion backmost line. With Verbruggen back-pedalling, Rashford did not drawback his decorativeness cleanly yet it was capable to deceive the goalkeeper.

Four minutes later, Albion thought they had levelled. Ayari’s clipped walk struck Mitoma connected the precocious limb and arsenic Emi Martinez lunged forward, helium palmed consecutive to Adingra, who thrashed successful the escaped ball. Attwell was called to the show and decided Mitoma’s involution was some amerciable and deliberate.

Villa sent connected Watkins and Asensio connected the hr and Asensio sealed it expertly with a first-time decorativeness erstwhile Rogers’ cut-back arrived. Thankfully for the visitors, it survived the VAR cheque and Malen smashed successful the 3rd astatine the extremity of added time. 

Villa’s play is gathering pace.