Preston 0-3 Aston Villa: Marcus Rashford at the double as first goals for new club seal FA Cup semi-final spot at Wembley – with Jacob Ramsey also on target

Just when they thought their season could get no worse, now Manchester United must watch their exiled homegrown hero try to lead Aston Villa into the FA Cup final.

Marcus Rashford was practically shoved out of the Old Trafford door when he was allowed to move on loan to Villa during the winter transfer window. 

Since then the 27-year-old has regained his place in the England squad and claimed his first goals since December 1 to sink Preston and send Villa into the last four. This will guarantee Unai Emery‘s men at least one trip to Wembley this season, when they face Crystal Palace in the semi-finals over the last weekend in April.

Where many believed Rashford’s career had reached the end of the line, Emery saw a player capable of producing the moments that could turn tricky matches Villa’s way.

For large parts of games, Rashford and fellow loanee Marco Asensio can appear passengers – until they deliver the magic that has made them two of Europe’s most effective forwards at different times of their careers.  

Rashford has two goals and four assists for Villa, Asensio seven goals, making 13 goal involvements in 19 games between them. That is how to make your mark as loan players.

Rashford broke the deadlock against Preston after touching home from Lucas Digne’s cross

The forward, on loan from Manchester United, then scored his second from the penalty spot

While it is legitimate to question United boss Ruben Amorim’s handling of Rashford, this day belonged to Villa. 

With a Champions League quarter-final against Paris Saint-Germain to look forward to as well as the Palace game and several crucial league matches, this could be the most memorable season for the club since they lifted the European Cup in 1982.

After a goalless first half, Rashford rounded off an excellent move with nearly an hour gone and converted a penalty five minutes later. 

Jacob Ramsey added a third with 19 minutes remaining. Thanks to Emery’s know-how in cup competitions and the depth of their squad, it would be brave to bet against Villa – even though Palace have been them twice this season, along with one draw.

Last season Villa finished fourth in the Premier League and reached the semi-finals of the Europa Conference League but started to run out of steam in the closing weeks. With most of his players fit and with a more powerful squad, Emery is confident things can be different this time.

‘We are in the key moment this season,’ he said. ‘We have struggled at times. In some moments we didn’t have enough players to compete at the level we are playing at. Now is the moment to do it.

‘Last year we finished tired, not fresh, and with injured players. This year our only chance is to finish fresh. Now we are getting injured players back and when I looked at the bench today, I saw we had the players to do what we needed to do.’

With the prize tantalisingly close, Emery picked a strong starting XI, including Rashford and Marco Asensio from the off. 

With Villa cruising to Wembley, Jacob Ramsey blasted in their third goal at Deepdale

This season is shaping up to be the club’s most memorable since they won the European Cup

Rashford has two goals and four assists for Villa since being exiled at Old Trafford

At the back, Villa had a shaky moment early when Lucas Digne misplaced a pass towards Ezri Konsa and Will Keane tried to buy a penalty from the back-tracking Youri Tielemans. No chance, said referee Chris Kavanagh.

With the noise of popping balloons, which were covering the pitch, setting an unusual soundtrack, Rashford hit a free-kick straight at Dai Cornell – deputising for injured first choice Freddie Woodman – and Ezri Konsa failed to hit the target when Asensio’s cross found him unmarked six yards out.

When Asensio plays, Morgan Rogers shifts to the right – yet he yearns to operate in the middle. The England international was shackled well in the first half, Lewis Gibson sticking to him impressively at one stage as he burst into the box.

Digne wasted another free-kick from an enticing spot before Preston saw the best chance of the half come and go. Emi Martinez flapped at Robbie Brady’s cross, Mads Frokjaer headed it back into the centre only for Stefan Thordarson to nod wide with Martinez stranded. For FA Cup shocks to happen, these are the sort of gifts that must be accepted.

At the other end, Konsa squandered another headed chance – this time a more difficult one – from Rashford’s cross.

Then Rashford should have put Villa ahead early in the second half. When a Preston move broke down, Villa found themselves three-against-two. Rogers fed Rashford instead of Asensio and Rashford produced two weak finishes from inside the area.

But Rashford made no mistake just before the hour mark as Villa broke through. After some slick play on the left, Jacob Ramsey found Digne. He squared for Rashford, whose first-time finish did the rest.

Rashford nearly created another seconds later with a super piece of skill and cross for Rogers, who was denied only by Jayden Meghoma’s block on the goalline. 

Unai Emery winced as his side missed several golden chances to increase their advantage

Villa did not have to wait long to make the game safe. 

Andrew Hughes upended Rogers in the box and though Asensio converted Villa’s last spot-kick, he left it to Rashford this time. After a deliberate run-up, Rashford sent Cornell the wrong way and suddenly Villa were cruising. 

Ramsey’s precise strike put the seal on it and while Rashford was denied the chance of a hat-trick when he was replaced by Ollie Watkins, he will look ahead to Wednesday’s trip to Brighton with confidence. 

That could be crucial for Champions League qualification next season.

Such is the strength of Villa’s attacking division, Rashford might not even start the game. What a frightening prospect for Villa’s opponents – and how exciting for their supporters.