Revived Rashford doubles up to make difference for Villa

Marcus Rashford ended a four-month goal drought to put Aston Villa one step closer to wiping out a 68-year dry spell with his double against Preston helping book a Wembley semi-final as the victors look to win their first FA Cup since 1957.

- Will Unwin

Rashford is a reigning Cup winner, lifting the trophy last May to help extend Erik ten Hag's stay at Manchester United, but that success did little to reignite either's Old Trafford career. The 27-year-old has improved at Aston Villa after leaving behind his home town malaise but everyone has been waiting until now for him to deliver goals, these his first since 1 December.

Unai Emery has worked hard to rebuild Rashford after the forward failed to impress Ruben Amorim with his attitude in United training. The change of scenery has seemingly helped Rashford, who played twice for Thomas Tuchel's England in the international break, and he is finally back doing what he can do: making a difference in big matches.

It might have been only a win over a Championship side but there was still plenty of pressure on Rashford, as the central striker, to lead his side to victory.

If the thought of facing Champions League opponents was not daunting enough, Preston were without a number of key players. The goalkeeper David Cornell was called upon to make only his seventh appearance in two and a half years at the club after Freddie Woodman was ruled out for the season, while there were five teenagers on the bench with a grand total of four minutes of first-team action between them.