Two months in to his loan spell at Aston Villa from Premier League rivals Manchester United, Marcus Rashford has once again showcased his talent to the world.
A solid start to life in Birmingham has seen the 27-year-old score three goals in just over 600 minutes for the club, including both scoring and setting up two of the three goals Villa scored against Preston North End in the FA Cup Quarter-Finals.
Rashford opened his Premier League account for the Lions against Brighton in Gameweek 30, smashing home a goal that resulted from a brilliant Villa counterattack. Adding to the list of scorers in the 3-0 win were red-hot Marco Asensio and fellow new signing Donyell Malen.
Amidst rumours swirling over his future at parent club Manchester United and the deal between United and Villa including a buy option priced at £40 million, Rashford’s most recent display on the pitch will surely motivate the Midlands club to exercise that offer.
High praise from Emiliano Martinez
On an Instagram post made by Rashford after the win against Brighton, showing Rashford playing in the match, Villa goalkeeper Emiliano ‘Dibu’ Martínez showed some love for the number 9.
The Argentine shot-stopper left a brief comment on Rashford’s photo, referring to him as a ‘baller’. He was also not the only Villa player to pay respect to Rashford, with Youri Tielemans commenting fire and muscle emojis. Morgan Rogers, who set up a lofted through ball to Rashford that saw him score the goal, referred to the attacker as ‘his brother’ in the comment he left.
Ipswich Town’s Kalvin Philips, who played with Rashford at Euro 2020, also left a few emojis to support his friend.
Rashford’s season revival
Life in the West Midlands has seen a real turnaround for Rashford in both narratives surrounding him.
At Manchester United, where he spent the first six months of the season, he scored seven goals in 24 games. He also made his final appearance for United in the 2024/25 season in early December against Viktoria Plzeň, and was then reduced to zero game time for the next two months.
Since joining Aston Villa on deadline day, Rashford has impressed even his biggest critics – with his first notable performance being a fantastic display against Ipswich, followed by two assists in his team’s 2-1 victory over Chelsea in late February.
All in all, the attacker has seen three goals and four assists come his way in 11 games, including a goal contribution per game in Villa’s impressive FA Cup run that has seen them reach the semis – even despite questions being raised over their quality as a side.
A summer of drama could be on the cards for Rashford – but it’s up to him to decide if he wants to continue on in Manchester, take his talents to Birmingham on a permanent basis, or seek a move to unknown lands.