Marcus Rashford’s future at Aston Villa is up in the air, according to coach Unai Emery, following the outstanding performance of the Manchester United-loaned striker in the recent Champions League match against Paris Saint-Germain.
After losing 3-1 in the first leg in Paris, Villa found themselves 5-1 down on aggregate, after goals from Achraf Hakimi and Nuno Mendes for PSG in the first half hour of the game.
However, Villa reacted, with a goal from Youri Tielemans before halftime. In the second half, Rashford’s speed and creativity spurred Emery’s team, with goals from John McGinn and Ezri Konsa, putting the score at 3-2 in favor of Villa, remaining 5-4 on aggregate.
Rashford, on loan to Villa until the end of the season, is available for a pre-agreed transfer fee of £40 million, but Emery indicated that a decision has not yet been made on the future of the 28-year-old player.
It’s difficult to plan it now. He [Rashford] feels better and played a fantastic match. We are very happy. If he is happy, we are happy. It depends on the circumstances for now and the next few weeks.
Unai Emery
Aston Villa bids farewell to the Champions League with an undefeated home record in their first participation in the competition since reaching the quarter-finals as European champions in the 1982-83 season.
With the aim of securing a place in the top five in the Premier League, which would guarantee them a return to the Champions League next season, Emery pointed out that Villa’s goal is to finish the campaign on a high note.
Now it’s more important to return to Europe. The most important competition is the Champions League. The challenge we have for the last six matches is to try to reach Europe and the Champions League.
Unai Emery
Emery expressed his pride in the team’s performance and the atmosphere created by the fans.
I am very proud of everything. Reaching this level is the next step and I want to try to win with Aston Villa. We played two matches, competed well and it wasn’t easy. Today we competed better and were close to the result. I want to try to work for my next process at Aston Villa. The fans were fantastic, they gave us energy. Even with the 2-0.
Unai Emery
