Rashford brace sees Aston Villa through to FA Cup semi-final | OneFootball

It was something of a frustrating first half for Aston Villa supporters. Although Unai Emery's men dominated possession, a debate could have been legitimately had that the Preston North End side, with a number of absentees, had the better chances in the opening 45 minutes. As the game unfolded, however, it became clear that Villa is a strong Premier League side and that they would be deserving FA Cup winners.

During the 3-0 win over PNE, AVFC were able to showcase their class at Deepdale. Their opponents were a mid-tier Championship side that sought to seize a result. Often, a team in the lower ranks will play with the intention of just getting to penalties, hoping for the fortune of the PK draw.

Credit to Paul Heckingbottom, though. Even when undermanned, he wanted to make life difficult for the visitors and pressed far up the pitch. At times, before the breakthrough, they looked to be the more dangerous team on the day.

One person found an opportune time for their first goal with their club, and Marcus Rashford easily earned the consensus Player of the Match through his efforts. The buildup resulted from the current Manchester United player, who is currently on loan, working back, and the ball found its way to Marco Asensio. A perfectly slotted ball by Lucas Digne then found the run in the box by Rashford.

One goal opened up the game for Aston Villa

The England international passed it into the back of the net with pace, and he soon after coolly converted his penalty. It was a second half that could have seen multiple other goals, but the class and skill of Asensio and Rashford ultimately proved to be too much for the home side to deal with for the full match.

Villa scored their third goal off a great individual effort from Jacob Ramsey. He found the ball from a Digne pass and glided his way toward the goal, ultimately unleashing a powerful right-footed shot to seal the victory. Emery will like how Aston Villa played in the second 45 minutes, and fans can feel extremely confident in how he has this group currently playing at the moment.