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Righto, Will Unwin’s match report is here:
Which means that’s it from me. But worry not, there’s plenty more to come – click below to join Tim de Lisle for Bournemouth v Man City in the last of our quarter-finals.
Bournemouth v Manchester City: FA Cup quarter-final updates
Otherwise, though, peace out.
Of course, these matches are absolutely colossal for the teams in them. City are seeking to redeem a disastrous season, while the others have either never won the Cup – Bournemouth and Palace – or not done so for decades – Forest and Villa. It’s a long time since the last four will have been this desperate to succeed, and it’s going to give us some extremely intense association football.
Villa will be pleased with that. Palace are a good side and a threat going forward, but they’re not as good as Forest, Bournemouth or City.
That concludes the draw, ties to be played the weekend of 26th and 27th of April.
Nottingham Forest v Bournemouth or Manchester City
Crystal Palace v Aston Villa
Here comes the draw for the semis…
I didn’t actually think Rashford played all that well today. But on his game, he’s special, and the confidence he’ll get from scoring in a winning team will help him reach that level. I also think Asensio has the passing game to feed him – and what options those two are off the bench, assuming that’s where they start the big games. Villa have a serious squad going on.
“It’s a great feeling,” says Rashford, who explains that he’s been getting fitter and it’s always nice for a forward to score. They have to take it one game at a time and do their best in every game, but they’re very ambitious.
He missed a lot of football before joining Villa, but his body feels good, he’s injury-free, and enjoying himself.
Still going on…
We’ll have the semi-final draw for you shortly, so stick with me for that.
Preston had a good go at it and might’ve forced a first-half opener, but Villa eventually imposed their extra class on proceedings and move into the last four looking a serious threat to win the competition.
Marcus Rashford of Aston Villa celebrates scoring his team’s second goal from the penalty spot with teammates Youri Tielemans, Boubacar Kamara and Jacob Ramsey. Photograph: Stu Forster/Getty Images
90+1 min Paul Robinson names Rashford his player of the match which makes sense as he’s scored twice, but Kamara, Asensio and Rogers were the standouts, in mine.
90+1 min We’ll have two additional minutes.
90 min Good work from McGinn, who holds on to the ball well on the by-line, lays back … and Ramsey opens body to pass wide of the far post.
89 min “And as for PSG,” he returns, “I’d say it’s absolutely critical we have Kamara and Onana available Kamara in particular is very necessary for Villa to produce their best, both in defence and building attacks. Am also hopeful Pau Torres will be back for Mings … Konsa has improved significantly in the time Mings has been out, and Torres’ reading of the game and generally higher ability to not have a brain-fade is something that means I have Konsa and Torres as my first-choice CB pair. It feels harsh on Mings, but this is a team that is moving forwards, and there are other players – like McGinn, most notably – who I think Villa are now slightly ‘better’ than… such is life, and football – it’s the most exciting and interesting Villa squad I’ve seen in decades, though, no doubt!”
Agree with pretty much all of that. I’ really like Kamara and Onana will be necessary for clutter. Torrest doesn’t have the physicality you’d want in a centre-back, but Paris don’t have a proper centre-forward.
87 min “Villa are, indeed, a difficult fixture for any team,” says Benjamin Gravestock, “but as a Villa fan it’s irritating that semi-final opponents Palace and Forest and Bournemouth are all teams we seem to struggle against! Man City, I’m less worried about…!”
I’d expect Villa to beat Palace and Forest on quality, but Bournemouth looks a harder match-up because of how hard they run. That’d be a terrific final.
85 min Villa weren’t great in the first half but have done a really professional job in the second. They’ll fancy themselves against whoever they meet next, whether Palace, Forest, Bournemouth or Man City, and rightly so.
83 min Two more changes for Preston, Carroll and Mawene for Frokjaer-Jensen and Thordarson.
82 min Villa knock it around, then a lovely touch from Kamara, controlling a Martinez pass first time and beating his man at the same time, allows him to run on, taking a little pass around the corner from McGinn before sliding Watkins through! But looking to reverse a low finish into the bottom left, he’s just wide of the post.
81 min Two more Villa changes: Watkins and Garcia for Rashford and Cash.
80 min “Further to Hugo Molloy’s point on the power of penalties,” begins David Howell, “I think this is also the hidden vulnerability that the VAR debate overlooks. In a sport this low-scoring, individual decisions – that are often subjective and/or pedantic – have an outsized impact on the outcome when they decide whether or not to award either a goal or, as Hugo says, an 80%-odd chance of one. VAR can increase the accuracy of those decisions, but (partly but not only because of that subjectivity) never to 100%, and so this vulnerability is exposed but never truly fixed.”
The main thing, I think, is to get the laws properly and clearly drafted so that when we see something happen and are clear on the facts, we know what the call is likely to be.
78 min The week after next, of course, Villa meet PSG in the last eight of the Champions League. Most likely, they find the French champions too quick in midfield, but might also have the power to run through them enough times over 180 minutes to shade things.
77 min Changes for Preston: Evans and Lindsay for Meghoma and Riis.
76 min Onana, by the way, hasn’t played since the start of February. A fit and fresh him, eager to make up for lost time, is a very useful addition for a side still in the Champions League, still in the FA Cup, and still seeking a top-five finish. I’m not sure he’s got the passing to control the tempo of a game, but he’s a very handy option either from the start or off the bench.
74 min Rashford scored twice, but the other two have been Villa’s best players. Asensio is so clever and technical – his feel are, I’m reliably assured, made of velvet – while Rogers is so clever and physical. Villa are a difficult night for any team nowadays, not just the one 14-best in the Championship.
73 min Changes for Villa: off go Tielemans, Asensio and Rogers; on come Onana, McGinn and Malen.
Villa are going to Wembley! Digne finds Ramsey, who turns adroitly, away from Storey and, with no the centre of the Preston defence vacant, he drives for the space then, just inside the box, shoots cross Cornell who allows the ball, at nice saveable height, to pass between his hands.
Aston Villa’s Jacob Ramsey scores their side’s third goal. Photograph: Martin Rickett/PA
70 min Excellent diag from Kamara– he’s played well today – to find Rashford, who finds an excellent disguised, blind-side ball in behind for Rogers, but Cornell is on top of him quickly – he’s got off his line really well today – and smothers then collects the eventuating shot.
69 min Rogers, by the way, has played well again. He’s not done anything brilliant, but his physicality and desire to commit defenders means he’s a handful in any game – at the very least.
68 min Whiteman blooters Rogers from behind and is booked.
67 min “That penalty is is a good example of why a regular foul in the box should simply be a free kick instead of an 80% chance of a goal, reckons Hugo Molloy. “Intentional (professional) foul, or offence that prevents a goalscoring opportunity anywhere on the pitch should be a penalty, everything else a free-kick. How exiting would direct free kicks be from 12yds versus penalties.”
I agree with all of this. All the guff about what is and isn’t a penalty misses the essential point: most of the offences that yield one are nowhere near severe enough to yield one.
65 min It’s a real shame for Preston, who’ve played well and were improving, to see the tie finished so mercilessly. But a little bit of quality, and composure from Asensio – what a loan he’s turned out to be – undid all their good work.
64 min Change for Preston, Osmajic – under investigation for allegedly racially abusing Hannibal Mejbri – replacing Keane.
Rashford pauses, pauses again, watches the keeper move left, then passes bottom-right. He’s on a roll!
61 min Villa almost score again, Meghoma blocking Rogers’ close-range shot, then Rogers finds Ramsey, accepts a return pass, and when he pokes out of the box, Hughes lunges, introducing studs to metatarsus, and the ref has no choice but to point to the spot. This game, well in the balance, might suddenly be over.
Marcus Rashford scores their second goal from the penalty spot. Photograph: Jason Cairnduff/Action Images/Reuters
Goodness me he needed that. Ramsey is robbed in midfield but Asensio picks up the loose ball, turns cunningly and away from trouble, then finds Rogers again. He slides left to Digne and from there the outcome is inevitable, a low square-pass arriving in front of the onrushing Rashford, who sidefoots firmly past Cornell. That’s his first Villa goal, his first for anyone in 14 games, and he looks more relieved than elated.
Aston Villa’s Marcus Rashford scores their side’s first goal. Photograph: Martin Rickett/PA
57 min Rogers gets Cash going, but Meghoma is into him so quickly; Preston are properly in this match now, not sitting about hoping not to concede.
54 min “Say what you like about Emi Martínez (and plenty must have been said about him in Brazil this week),” returns Justin Kavanagh, “but is there any keeper you’d rather have for a penalty shootout, if this stays deadlocked?”
I wonder if Arsenal regret flogging him. I know David Raya is fine, but I know which of the two I’d prefer.
52 min Rogers strides through midfield, running away from Meghoma and burrowing infield. And, though, he gets lucky when a challenge allows him to feed Rashford, outside him, the pass is nicely weighted and timed, Rashford cutting inside and across his marker as Cornell rushes out, the finish, slotted to the side of him, lacking venom and catching the keeper’s thigh, allowing him to collect easily enough. If he’d put his laces through that, he might just’ve scored.
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