New Delhi: Aston Villa were one of the busiest clubs of the January transfer window, strengthening their squad for the second half of the on going season. They were involved in some of the most high profile moves of the window and acquired the likes of Marcus Rashford, Marco Asensio, Donyell Malen and Axel Disasi while letting go of Colombian starlet Jhon Duran in a biggest sale of the window.
Two of the club’s latest acquisitions were handed their debut by Villa manager Unai Emery during their 2-1 victory over Tottenham in the fourth round of the FA Cup. While neither players could manage to affect the scoreline in their debut appearance, both new signings impressed in their first appearance in a Villa kit. Both Rashford and Asensio came on in the 67th minute and looked threatening during their time on the field.
Marco Asensio and Marcus Rashford make their Aston Villa debuts! ✅🔴🔵 #MarcoAsensio #MarcusRashford #AstonVilla pic.twitter.com/JPDNbiBC0q
— Sportskeeda Football (@skworldfootball) February 9, 2025
Both the attackers joined Villa to revamp their ongoing season after struggling for game time recently. Rashford was frozen out from the Manchester United first team following the arrival of head coach Ruben Amorim, with the Portuguese not playing him in eight consecutive games before he sealed a move to Villa. Asensio, meanwhile faced similar circumstances at PSG, playing only 18 minutes in the last eight games he was included for before leaving the club.
Despite the limited gametime both players had been afforded in the recent past, they still managed to produce an eye-catching display. Manager Unai Emery was also all praises for his new signings, saying “Marcus Rashford and Asensio, we watched their skill and how they helped us. They will help us again in the next months in the different competitions we will face.”
The Stats Tell the Tale
Asensio and Rashford made an immediate impact on the game after coming on. Rashford looked sharp and full of energy in his appearance off the bench, with his pace and movement creating many problems for the Spurs defense. While he wasn’t able to get any shot on target, he build up play and overall involvement with the team was impactful on it’s own accord. He maintained 93% passing accuracy during his time on the field, completing 13 of his 14 passes.
In just over 20 minutes, he managed to garner 22 touches of the ball, including four in the opposition half while also helping his team out defensively. He contested six duels, winning four of them, completed two take ons while also completing all his tackles. He helped his team out by contributing to three defensive actions during his time on the field and was never dribbled past even once.
Meanwhile, Asensio was impressing the fans on his own by showcasing his technical brilliance and composed play. He linked up well with Villa’s star Morgan Rogers, with the duo’s link up maintaining pressure on Spurs’ backline and Rogers coming close to scoring a spectacular team goal, which was created by the two of them. The addition of Asensio gave a fresh attacking option and a new look to the team’s attack which showed how dangerous they can be going forward.
During his 24 minutes on the field, he completed all 15 of his passes while also completing all of his dribbles in the game. He made one key pass as well, setting Rogers up for a potential second goal but the shot went narrowly wide. He made eight passes in the final third, getting 20 touches in the game while winning two of his three duels. He created one chance for his side and showcased what all he can do for the club if given more consistent game time.
Aston Villa’s new signings Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio made their debut last night in the club’s 2-1 win over Tottenham and were highly impressive on their first showing for the club. Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
