Here’s what you need to know:
Marcus Rashford continues to feature for Aston Villa following his loan move from Man United.
Manchester United loanee Marcus Rashford has fired a warning to Manchester City as Aston Villa look to continue their fine form against Pep Guardiola’s side.
The 27-year-old made a late introduction for Villa in their 4-1 win over Newcastle United, which fired them into the European places with five matches remaining. Rashford replaced Ollie Watkins, who opened the scoring after 33 seconds against the Magpies, to help the Midlands club close the game out.
The United academy graduate has had a superb loan spell at Villa Park so far with three goals and six assists in 16 appearances so far.
This week, the MEN reported that Rashford “has never been happier” since his temporary move, with a source close to the attacker admitting that a change of scenery has benefited the England international.
Rashford raved about his teammates’ performance as he dropped to the bench, following a start in their Champions League exit to Paris Saint-Germain in midweek.
“What a performance from the boys,” he wrote on Instagram. “5 in a row. We will keep pushing. See you on Tuesday.”
Villa go to the Etihad Stadium on Tuesday in a crucial clash in the context of the race for European qualification next season. As it stands, they sit in the UEFA Conference League places outside of the Champions League places on goal difference.
Unlike previous Premier League campaigns, there are five spots available to qualify for the elite European competition. For the likes of Villa and those outside of the top four, they have Arsenal to thank for helping claim a fifth spot after beating reigning champions Real Madrid in the quarter-final this week.
United are also in with a shout of qualifying for the Champions League as they are at least 180 minutes away from the Europa League final. Winning the competition would mean they automatically qualify irrespective of their league position and in the case of Ruben Amorim’s side, they are 19 points adrift of the battle for Europe.
“I was watching the 99 documentary for inspiration,” Amorim told TNT Sports following the dramatic win. “The team were tired. At 4-2, you think it is over, but here it is never over.
“Here everything is possible. This is one type of moment that can change a lot of things.
“Sometimes we just look at the tactical and physical aspect. But these moments can change a lot in the players’ minds. We need to be really focused on the Europa League and take a risk with the kids in the league.
“Fans have to understand that we have to focus on the Europa League,” the Portuguese added.
—
Here at the Manchester Evening News, we’re dedicated to bringing you the best Manchester United coverage and analysis.
Make sure you don’t miss out on the latest United news by joining our free WhatsApp group. You can get all the breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clicking here to subscribe.
You can also subscribe to our free newsletter service. Click here to be sent all the day’s biggest stories.
And finally, if you’d rather listen to our expert analysis then make sure to check out our Manchester is Red podcast, featuring The Samuel Luckhurst Show and The Midweek Debate. Our shows are available on all podcast platforms, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts, and you can also watch along on YouTube.
Published: 2025-04-20 16:30:00 | Author: [email protected] (Stephen Killen) | Source: MEN – Sport
Link: www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk
Tags: #Manchester #United #star #Marcus #Rashford #fires #warning #ahead #Man #City #return