Manager’s changeable lineups have pushed striker to usurp Ollie Watkins and likely lead the attack at Wembley
Unai Emery keeps his Aston Villa players on their toes. Sometimes he tells his squad the lineup the day before a game, on other occasions half an hour before they depart the team hotel for the stadium on a match day. Training tends to offer some clues but of late there have been surprises. Emery, a hugely emotional character, has been known to make impulsive, snap calls. Morgan Rogers, a rare mainstay and one of Villa’s trio of undroppables, recently described how his manager’s decision‑making can feel like flip‑of-the-coin stuff.
When the teamsheets are released an hour before kick-off at Wembley on Saturday, the eyeballs will jump towards the most intriguing selection dilemma: will Emery favour Marcus Rashford or Ollie Watkins?
Written by Ben Fisher
This news first appeared on https://www.theguardian.com/football/2025/apr/25/emery-engineering-has-rashford-and-aston-villa-on-the-rise-for-fa-cup under the title “Emery engineering has Rashford and Aston Villa on the rise for FA Cup”. Bolchha Nepal is not responsible or affiliated towards the opinion expressed in this news article.
