Emery was wrong with Rashford

Rashford played well on the day Aston Villa beat PSG 3-2 in the second leg of the Champions League quarter-finals.

The substitution of Marcus Rashford in the 76th minute, when the striker was playing impressively, became one of the hot topics in this confrontation. Did Emery make a mistake in making the change?

Rashford was playing well but was replaced.

Rashford, although he did not score in the match, was the man who brought Villa to life in the second half. After PSG had taken a 2-0 lead at half-time and were 5-1 up on aggregate, few expected Villa to pull off a comeback. However, Rashford proved to be one of the most influential players on the pitch.

Rashford was tireless, putting constant pressure on PSG's defence. He was not only the inspiration for the attacks, but also directly contributed to Villa's goals. For Villa's third goal, Rashford showed off his technique by "putting on" a PSG player, then dribbling past another before perfectly setting up Ezri Konsa for the goal.

As always, Rashford knows how to make the difference. In this match, he had the perfect combination of speed, technique and power.

Despite PSG dominating the first half, Rashford kept fighting. Without his presence on the pitch, Villa would hardly have had the confidence and ability to create such chances.

Rashford constantly disturbed PSG's defense with his speed.

By the time he was substituted, Rashford had 12 touches in the opposition box, created the most chances (4) and attempted the most crosses (9). Despite not scoring, Rashford was instrumental in opening up space for his teammates and forcing PSG’s defence into mistakes. Former Villa striker Dion Dublin had no hesitation in calling Rashford “man of the match” for making the biggest difference.

Given Rashford’s impressive performance, the decision to substitute him in the 76th minute was a puzzling one. With Villa needing another goal to level the aggregate score, substituting a striker who has been in fine form could have sapped the team’s attacking momentum. Not only would it deprive Villa of a vital source of energy, it would have also created a sudden change in the tempo of the game.

Former Villa defender Stephen Warnock said the decision to substitute Rashford was a mistake, as it “slowed down the tempo of the game”. He also questioned why Emery would take off a good striker when the team needed a goal to revive their hopes. The decision could have affected the excitement of Villa, who were trailing their opponents and were just one goal away from equalising.

However, there is no denying that Emery has brought a new look to Villa since he took over the team in October 2022. With Emery, the Birmingham club is no longer a team fighting for relegation but has risen to become a candidate to compete for a Champions League spot.

However, at crucial moments like the match against PSG, Emery has not been immune to criticism for making decisions that could have changed the outcome of the match. The question is whether Emery was aware of how important Rashford was to Villa at that time. With a striker as energetic and capable of making a difference as Rashford, subbing him when the team needed another goal could be considered a wrong decision.

What future for Rashford at Villa?

With his performances for Villa, Rashford has shown a strong ability to recover form after an unstable period at Manchester United. After joining Villa in January, he quickly took an important position in Emery's first team. The match against PSG was the clearest proof of this revival.

Will Villa buy Rashford outright at the end of the season?

Rashford is currently on loan at Villa with a £40m buy option. With just over a month left in the season, both Rashford and Villa will have to make a decision on his future. And Emery, despite Villa's rise, will face tough decisions about maintaining this strong squad.

The Aston Villa-PSG game was not just a clash of two teams, it was also a prime example of the importance of tactical decisions at crucial moments. Unai Emery’s decision to substitute Rashford – tactical as it may have been – took away a key element of Villa’s play when they needed a breakthrough to get closer to their comeback.

While Emery had his reasons for making the substitution, the mistake raises questions about whether he has truly maximised the team's strengths. With Rashford in fine form, was subbing him the right move?

This will only be proven in the coming games, as Villa continue to strive for their great goal.

Source: https://znews.vn/emery-da-sai-voi-rashford-post1546218.html