Aston Villa boss Unai Emery was pleased with our performance in our 2-0 win Cardiff City to advance in the FA Cup, and praised both Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio.
It was a second-half brace from the Spaniard that eventually helped us secure our place in the quarter-finals, with Asensio making it four goals in two starts for the club since his January arrival.
READ MORE: Villa player ratings vs Cardiff: Classy Asensio, key quartet shine in win
Further, it was another assist for Rashford who has also made a positive impact since joining us, and it’s hoped that the attacking pair can continue to be decisive between now and the end of the season to keep our hopes of winning silverware alive.
Villa controlled this game for large periods and built sustained pressure, and although we had to bide our time before prising Cardiff open, there were positives to take from the encounter as we bounced back from our heavy defeat at Crystal Palace in the Premier League earlier in the week.
In turn, Emery was unsurprisingly much happier this time round in his post-game interviews, and he praised his side for their efforts in continuing our FA Cup run this year.
“The players performed fantastic,” he said, as per BBC Sport. “At home with our football we are comfortable. We respected the opponent.
“We were creating chances but not clinical. The second half was still difficult to beat them. We scored one goal. After that it was more easy to dominate and try to score a second goal to finish the match.
“We have our experiences last year in Europe. Today playing against a Championship team, being better than them, trying to respect them because you can lose a match even if you’re better than the opponent.
“Numbers for the team and for him [Marco Asensio] as well. We need him. We need Rashford. We need the players who joined in the last window. We need the players coming back from injury. Every player will be necessary for the matches in the next weeks and months.
“Now we focus on the Champions League. We are there and we have to enjoy it and compete. We are going to play Brentford next week. It’s a tough week but excited for us and supporters.
“We are not considered favourites to win this trophy. We are contenders but not favourites.
“[We] have to be confident but always respecting the opponent and we were trying to dominate.
“The most important was try to be passionate, don’t concede transitions of their attacking moment and we did it. Then progressing we had chances. We weren’t clinical but the second half after we scored the first goal I think we were thinking OK, our work was going well.”
On impact of Marco Asensio and Marcus Rashford: “It’s important for the team, it’s important as well for the players individually to get their individual target as well and two goals. He’s [Marco Asensio] adapting fantastic, as well [Marcus] Rashford. We will need them for the next matches and the challenges we have.
“We are thinking for the next match. We are in [a] quarter-final, we are happy. We know the difficulties we are going to face but enjoy each moment and today, here with our supporters, we are here performing at home very well and the cup is very important for the club, for the supporters, for ourselves but as well it is a way for a trophy.”
As noted by the Villa boss, it’s crucial we build on this result as we resume Champions League matters next week before a tough trip to Brentford in the Premier League.
It was also vital to see us keep a much-needed clean sheet in this win as we look to shore things up defensively, and so hopefully these are positive signs moving forward after our disappointment earlier this week.
Given their roles in our win, it was no surprise to hear Emery praise both Rashford and Asensio, and whether or not they’re here with us beyond this season, it’s imperative that they continue to fire us to important wins and make the difference, as they are proving to be fundamental additions in the second half of the campaign already.
