Manchester United loanee Marcus Rashford came off the bench in Aston Villa’s 2-1 FA Cup win over Tottenham.
For the first time in his footballing career, Marcus Rashford took to the pitch wearing something other than a Manchester United shirt.
Since the age of seven, Rashford has represented United, making his first-team breakthrough in 2015. However, after struggling for consistency and concerns over Rashford’s attitude, he decided to try and get his career back on track elsewhere.
Rashford signed for Aston Villa on loan with a £40m buy option attached to the deal at the end of the season.
His last United performance came against Plzen in the Europa League in December, but Rashford has made a good first impression at Villa and his new manager, Unai Emery, threw him straight into the mix on Sunday afternoon.
How Marcus Rashford fared in Aston Villa debut vs Tottenham
Villa joined Manchester United in the fifth round of the FA Cup after beating Tottenham 2-1 at home on Sunday evening.
Jacob Ramsey and Morgan Rogers scored for Villa, while United target Mathys Tel clawed one back for Spurs late on.
Rashford started on the bench for Villa alongside new arrival Marco Asensio. Both signings were introduced in the 66th minute with Villa leading 2-0 at the time.
Rashford, who is wearing the No.9 for Villa, injected some energy into the front line and he enjoyed some bright moments early on, including some high pressing and a nice take on down the left wing. For the majority of the match, though, he played down the middle.
Here is a quick glance at Rashford’s stats against Tottenham:
| Minutes played | 24 |
| Touches | 22 |
| Passes completed | 93% (13/14) |
| Key passes | 0 |
| Crosses completed | 0% (0/1) |
| Duels won | 66% (4/6) |
| Dribbles completed | 50% (1/2) |
| Possession lost | 6 |
What Unai Emery said about Aston Villa
Ahead of his move to Villa, Rashford had a personal phone call with Emery before sealing the deal. Reports suggest the United star came across as “humble and focused”.
Amorim heavily criticised Rashford’s training, but it seems Emery is more than happy with his start at the club.
Speaking ahead of the Spurs clash, Emery told Sky Sports: “The conversation I had with him was a very normal conversation with a player and coach, speaking about football.
“I only want the best football from him. As a person as well into the dressing room like one more player helping us.
“I think his potential is huge potential to exploit. I don’t want to know the reason he is leaving from Manchester but I am very happy keeping him here.”
Rashford could make his first start in a Villa shirt on Saturday afternoon when they face Ipswich Town in the Premier League. Last time he faced the Tractor Boys, Rashford scored the first goal of Amorim’s era as United head coach.
from United In Focus https://ift.tt/vqHojNS