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By TOM COLLOMOSSE Published: 07: 46 AEDT, 3 April 2025 | Updated: 08: 22 AEDT, 3 April 2025 5 View comments There are not many clubs in Europe, let alone the Premier League, who can send on players as talented as Ollie Watkins and Marco Asensio when things need switching up. Yet Unai Emery has exactly those options on his bench and they helped carry Aston Villa another step towards possible glory on three fronts. There are very few managers in the world right now who would not trade their squad with Emery’s. After Asensio’s fellow loan star Marcus Rashford had given Villa the lead with his first league goal for the club, the Spaniard scored his eighth in all competitions to make it six wins in a row for Emery’s men as fellow sub Donyell Malen added a third in stoppage time. They are also in the FA Cup semi-finals and face a Champions League quarter-final against Paris Saint-Germain next week. Villa have laboured for much of the campaign yet they look the business now, all right. This victory will make them believe they can qualify for next season’s Champions League, too: Saturday’s home clash with Nottingham Forest will be another crucial chapter in that story. After scoring twice in the FA Cup win at Preston, Marcus Rashford kept his place as Villa’s central striker ahead of Ollie Watkins. Early on, he was a fraction too slow to react when Bart Verbruggen spilled Ezri Konsa’s header, allowing the goalkeeper to gather. Villa then came even closer when a smooth move from back to front allowed Lucas Digne to cross for recalled skipper John Mc Ginn, who failed to hit the target from eight yards. Moments later, Rashford collected Boubacar Kamara’s lofted pass superbly but could not produce a finish to match. Marcus Rashford roars with delight after scoring his first Premier League goal for Aston Villa Rashford broke the deadlock on 51 minutes with this finish against Brighton and Hove Albion The forward, on loan from Man United, was congratulated by his Villa team-mates  Joao Pedro was causing the Villa backline plenty of problems yet the home side could not take advantage, as Simon Adingra and Kaoru Mitoma squandered chances. At the other end, Matty Cash volleyed just over and was then relieved not to concede a penalty when he seemed to barge Mitoma over inside the box. Brighton were finding their rhythm now. Moments earlier, Mitoma had set up Adingra for a 20-yard effort that nearly grazed the post and on Unai Emery was growing agitated. The Villa boss was unhappy with Albion chief Fabian Hurzeler wandering outside his technical area and gestured forcefully for the German to return. Emery’s mood did not improve when Jack Hinshelwood, who had already been booked, appeared to trip Jacob Ramsey. After a long VAR check, referee Stuart Attwell was told to stick with his original call. If Villa were unlucky there, they got away with one just before half-time. Yasin Ayari’s free-kick twanged the post and the rebound bounced off Ramsey’s arm. Once again, no penalty, and Villa nearly had the last word of the half as Ramsey charged down the right and found an excellent cross. Like the rest of us, he must have wondered why neither Rashford nor Morgan Rogers was on hand to tap it in. If Rashford had not been on his heels at the start of the first half, he was right on the money early in the second half to give Villa the lead. When a Brighton corner was cleared to Rogers, the attacker hit an outstanding long pass with his weaker left foot to send Rashford scampering behind the Albion back line. With Verbruggen back-pedalling, Rashford did not catch his finish cleanly yet it was enough to deceive the goalkeeper. Marco Asensio (right) scored the visitors second with this finish on 78 minutes on Wednesday Asensio is thriving with the Villians since joining from Paris Saint-Germain on loan Donyell Malen (right) added a third deep into second-half stoppage-time to complete the win The Netherlands international's goal helped Villa move up to seventh in the Premier League Brighton (4-2-3-1): Verbruggen 6; Hinshelwood 5 (Wieffer 72, 6), Van Hecke 6, Dunk 6. 5 (Cashin 72, 4. 5), Estupinan 6; Ayari 7, Gomez 6 (Baleba 72, 6); Adingra 5. 5, Gruda 6 (O’Riley 84), Mitoma 6; Joao Pedro 7 (Welbeck 72, 6). Booked: Hinshelwood Manager: Fabian Hurzeler 6 Aston Villa (4-4-1-1): Martinez 6; Cash 7 (Disasi 81), Konsa 7, Torres 6, Digne 7; Rogers 8 (Malen 89), *KAMARA 8. 5*, Tielemans 6 (Onana 65, 6), Ramsey 7 (Asensio 65, 7); Mc Ginn 8; Rashford 7. 5 (Watkins 65, 6). Scorers: Rashford 51, Asensio 78 Booked: Martinez, Disasi, Watkins Manager: Unai Emery 7 Referee: Stuart Attwell 6 Four minutes later, Albion thought they had levelled. Ayari’s clipped pass struck Mitoma on the upper arm and as Martinez lunged forward, he palmed straight to Adingra, who thrashed in the loose ball. With players from both sides pointing frantically at various parts of their sleeves, Attwell was called to the monitor and decided Mitoma’s intervention was both illegal and deliberate. Villa sent on Watkins and Asensio along with Amadou Onana on the hour and Asensio sealed it expertly when substitute Eiran Cashin lost Rogers and Asensio delivered a fabulous first-time finish when the cut-back arrived. Thankfully for the visitors, it survived the VAR check and Malen smashed in the third at the end of added time. Villa’s season is gathering pace.

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