Preston 0-3 Aston Villa: Player ratings as Rashford brace sends Villans to Wembley
- Marcus Rashford scored his first two goals for club
- Jacob Ramsey added a third for Aston Villa
- Wembley awaits for FA Cup semi-final next month
A second-half burst from Aston Villa toppled a spirited Preston North End on Sunday afternoon as Unai Emery's Premier League visitors eventually eased to a 3-0 FA Cup quarter-final victory.
The only Championship team which made it into the last eight of the FA Cup were also hampered by an injury crisis running throughout the squad. However, Paul Heckingbottom's side started their first quarter-final appearance since 1966 positively, frustrating their top-flight visitors.
Villa were limited to just one wayward Ezri Konsa header in the first half, while Preston's Stefan Thordarson squandered a golden aerial opportunity of his own inside the opening half-hour.
Marcus Rashford scuffed two chances to break the deadlock after the interval before belatedly picking out the bottom corner in the 59th minute. Striding confidently onto Lucas Digne's low cross, the Manchester United loanee was on hand to score his first goal in Aston Villa's colours.
After waiting six weeks, nine games and 520 minutes to break his duck for Villa, Rashford completed his brace in the space of 300 seconds. Morgan Rogers tumbled under an errant stamp from Andrew Hughes, winning a penalty which his compatriot coolly converted.
Jacob Ramsey rammed home the visitors' advantage with a buccaneering forward surge to book Villa's place in next month's semi-finals.
Preston player ratings (3-5-2)
Player | Rating |
|---|---|
GK: David Cornell | 5.8/10 |
CB: Jordan Storey | 6.4/10 |
CB: Lewis Gibson | 6.3/10 |
CB: Andrew Hughes | 5.8/10 |
RWB: Robbie Brady | 7.0/10 |
CM: Stefan Thordarson | 5.8/10 |
CM: Ben Whiteman | 6.3/10 |
CM: Mads Frokjaer-Jensen | 7.0/10 |
LWB: Jayden Meghoma | 7.1/10 |
ST: Will Keane | 5.8/10 |
ST: Emil Riis Jakobsen | 5.8/10 |
SUB: Milutin Osmajic (64' fo Keane) | 5.8/10 |
SUB: Ched Evans (77' for Jakobsen) | 6.1/10 |
SUB: Liam Lindsay (77' for Lindsay) | 5.8/10 |
SUB: Theo Carroll (83' for Frokjaer-Jensen) | N/A |
SUB: Theo Mawene (83' for Thordarson) | N/A |
Subs not used: Li-Bau Stowell (GK), Kacper Pasiek, Patrick Bauer, Troy Tarry.
Aston Villa player ratings (3-5-2)
Player | Rating |
|---|---|
GK: Emi Martinez | 7.7/10 |
RB: Matty Cash | 7.3/10 |
CB: Ezri Konsa | 7.3/10 |
CB: Tyrone Mings | 7.1/10 |
LB: Lucas Digne | 8.6/10 |
CM: Boubacar Kamara | 7.5/10 |
CM: Youri Tielemans | 6.8/10 |
AM: Marco Asensio | 7.0/10 |
RW: Morgan Rogers | 7.4/10 |
ST: Marcus Rashford | 9.1/10 |
LW: Jacob Ramsey | 8.3/10 |
SUB: John McGinn (73' for Tielemans) | 6.3/10 |
SUB: Amadou Onana (73' for Asensio) | 6.5/10 |
SUB: Donyell Malen (73' for Rogers) | 5.7/10 |
SUB: Andres Garcia (81' for Cash) | N/A |
SUB: Ollie Watkins (81' for Rashford) | N/A |
Subs not used: Robin Olsen (GK), Ian Maatsen, Lamare Bogarde, Pau Torres.
Player of the match - Marcus Rashford (Aston Villa)
READ THE LATEST FA CUP NEWS, PREVIEWS & RATINGS HERE
feed