Marcus Rashford was back in Manchester on Tuesday night as he started for Aston Villa against Manchester City.
It was a massive night for Unai Emery and Aston Villa, with the race for Champions League football set to go to the wire, but losing to the reigning Premier League champions has dealt the Villains a heavy blow.
At the Etihad on Tuesday, Villa were defeated 2-1 by Manchester City, despite Marcus Rashford scoring from the penalty spot.
| Position | Team | Played MP | Won W | Drawn D | Lost L | For GF | Against GA | Diff GD | Points Pts |
| 5 |  NewcastleNewcastle | 33 | 18 | 5 | 10 | 62 | 44 | 18 | 59 |
| 6 |  ChelseaChelsea | 33 | 16 | 9 | 8 | 58 | 40 | 18 | 57 |
| 7 |  Aston VillaAston Villa | 34 | 16 | 9 | 9 | 54 | 49 | 5 | 57 |
| 8 |  B’mouthBournemouth | 33 | 13 | 10 | 10 | 52 | 40 | 12 | 49 |
| 9 |  FulhamFulham | 33 | 13 | 9 | 11 | 48 | 45 | 3 | 48 |
Rashford led the line for Villa and missed three big chances, which eventually cost his team the points, although his performance will still be considered positive.
Following the loss to City, Rashford posted on his Instagram with a 22-word message in response the the loss that leaves Villa seventh in the league and two points from Champions League football.
Now, Emery has been reacting to the result and Rashford in particular.
Unai Emery reacts to Marcus Rashford’s goalscoring performance
This was another pivotal game for Villa’s season and another game in which Emery opted to start Rashford over Ollie Watkins, which speaks volumes and suggests that they intend to trigger the buy option.
Speaking on Tuesday night after his performance, as quoted by Rich Fay, Emery was full of praise for his number nine.
“I am so, so happy with him. He is performing very well. His commitment to the teammates and the process we are having has been very important for us and for him.”
From his words about the player, it would be suggested that Emery would be keen on Villa triggering the £40m option to buy, which was included in the January loan deal.
Emery’s words will be exactly what Ineos wanted to hear, with the Villa boss usually backed completely, and so if he asks for Rashford, the club are unlikely to refuse him.
However, with the chances of Champions League football taking a hit, can Villa still make the deal happen?
- READ MORE: Who is Marcus Rashford? Inside the life of Man Utd’s book-writing, government-tackling ace
Aston Villa could need Champions League football to sign Marcus Rashford
In the event a deal cannot be afforded, United have been linked with offering a swap for Watkins, which could be required in the event Villa don’t qualify for the Champions League.
It was reported on Tuesday by Fabrizio Romano on Give Me Sport that Villa are hoping that they can secure Champions League football in order to help complete a deal for Rashford.
The report explains that Villa would be okay with the option to buy fee of £40m, but would find his £350,000-a-week wage demands problematic.
Romano did suggest that a permanent move is very possible, but salary is the sticking point, and Champions League is going to be crucial as Rashford wants to play in Europe’s premier competition.
Champions League football would make a deal easier, but Romano doesn’t rule it out without qualification.
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