30 March 2025 • 3:51pm
3:48PM Not sure about that. Even an on-song Rashford does not walk straight into the Real Madrid starting XI, for example, but anyway…
Thanks for reading. One more FA Cup quarter-final to go: Bournemouth v Manchester City. Winner plays Nottingham Forest. Kieran Crichard is covering the match for Telegraph Sport.
3:43PM When Marcus is playing well, like he did in the second half, when you’re giving him what he needs – which is a bit of freedom and chances to score goals, but he’s making the runs fine, he can start in any team in world football. That’s how good Marcus is.
3:40PM BBC pundits are purring about Marcus Rashford’s penalty technique. He waited for the moment Cornell’s leg moved and went to the left side, as he dived right.
“With the players stuttering [their run-up] and keeping an eye on you, they are not going for the bottom corner,” Joe Hart explains. “That’s tame, that Rashford penalty, but he managed to get rid of the goalkeeper. It’s such a good feeling to do that.”
3:32PM Nottingham Forest v Bournemouth or Manchester City
Crystal Palace v Aston Villa.
The ties are to be played April 26 and April 27.
As Mark Chapman points out on the Beeb, you could make a case for any of the five left in the competition to go all the way.
3:31PM The other tie sees the lowest-ranked side left in the competition, Crystal Palace, facing Preston vanquishers Aston Villa.
3:30PM A mouthwatering clash between teams separated by six points in the Premier League.
3:29PM Curious decision to do it hours before the last quarter-final is decided, but hey ho.
It is BBC pundit Joe Hart doing the honours.
The numbers for the draw are:1 Crystal Palace2 Aston Villa3 Bournemouth or Manchester City
4 Nottingham Forest
3:27PM 1999 – Aston Villa’s 3-0 win over Preston is their biggest winning margin in an FA Cup game since January 1999, when they beat Hull City 3-0. Villa have reached their first FA Cup semi-final since 2015. Cruise. pic.twitter.com/yK4w0Ys1Ao
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) March 30, 2025
3:26PM “It’s a great feeling [to score two goals]. I feel like I’ve been playing better football since I’ve been here. It’s nice for a forward to get goals and hopefully it continues.
“I think we’re a very ambitious team, we want to win and get as far as we can in all competitions and also get back to the top four as well.”
Asked by the BBC how far he is from his best form, he answered: “Step by step, I think I can still get fitter and I missed a lot of football before joining up with them. At the moment, my football feels good, I’m injury-free and just enjoying my football.”
3:22PM An impressive spell in the middle of the second half saw Villa outclass Preston, who defended determinedly in the first half. Two goals in quick succession took all the sting out of the game
The three Rs – Ramsey, Rashford and Rogers – were full of running and they still have the energy to go over to the travelling fans and applaud them.
What a time to be an Aston Villa fan. Thousands will be travelling to Paris for the first leg of their Champions League quarter-final on April 9.
