Aston Villa Wants To Make History When Meet PSG, Install Rashford And Watkins?

JAKARTA - Aston Villa manager, Unai Emery, suggested there was no time to release Marcus Rashford andten Watkins as the attacking duo against Paris Saint-Germain in the second leg of the Champions League quarter-finals on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.

Villa need to reverse the 1-3 deficit from the first leg when the two teams meet at Villa Park. However, Emery is not sure Rashford and Watkins can play two attackers.

"The next step, if I had the time, was to play them together. We did it with Rashford playing on the left, but now we prefer both of them to play as attackers."

"That's the next step. I want to practice. I want to test, but not now, with enough time," Emery said at a press conference Monday, April 14, 2025, local time.

Rashford impressed during a loan spell from Manchester United, with three goals in recent weeks. Watkins has scored 15 goals this season, including one goal to make a 3-0 win against Southampton on Saturday, April 12, 2025, after coming on as a substitute.

Emery said Watkins felt fantastic, but he still had to decide which composition he would use against PSG.

"I don't have any ideas for starting XI yet. I have ideas, plans, a whole of 90 minutes or extra time or a penalty shootout for tomorrow's game."

"Every player should know their job on the pitch. They must also understand how we manage matches emotionally and tactically if they are on the pitch to do their job," Emery said.

Meanwhile, Emery said his players should believe that they can make epic comebacks to secure their place in the semifinals.

"We want to write history here with Aston Villa," he said.