Marcus Rashford Smiles Again Following Aston Villa's Impressive 3-0 Win At Brighton

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Ezri Konsa expressed his happiness for Marcus Rashford, who seems to have rediscovered his joy in football. Rashford's performance was pivotal in Aston Villa's 3-0 triumph over Brighton on Wednesday. After netting his first goals for the club against Preston in the FA Cup, Rashford celebrated his first Premier League goal for Villa early in the second half.

Rashford's goal against Brighton marked his fifth in the competition against them, with only Leicester City, Arsenal, and Tottenham Hotspur seeing more goals from him. Late strikes by Marco Asensio and Donyell Malen secured the win for Villa, enhancing their prospects of securing a Champions League spot. This victory was Villa's largest away win in the Premier League since their 5-0 triumph over Sheffield United nearly a year ago.

The win propelled Villa to seventh place, just three points behind Manchester City in fourth. The gap to fifth place, which could secure Champions League qualification through league standings, is now only two points. Unai Emery's team remains active in this season's competition, and Konsa highlighted the significance of this victory.

Konsa stated, "We knew this was an important game for us; it was must-win. We came to win and that's what we did." He emphasized that their primary aim is the Champions League and stressed the importance of focusing on their next match on Saturday.

Konsa praised Villa's defensive performance, noting that all eleven players worked cohesively. "I thought defensively we were excellent," he said. "All 11 of us stuck together. I didn't feel threatened at all." The team capitalized on counter-attacks to score multiple goals and maintained a series of clean sheets recently.

Villa has now achieved consecutive away wins in the top flight for the first time since August. Previously, they had only one victory out of nine away matches (D1 L7). They aim to maintain this positive momentum against Nottingham Forest on Saturday before facing Paris Saint-Germain.

Konsa also reflected on Rashford's rejuvenation since joining from Manchester United in January. "He's got a smile on his face again," Konsa remarked to Sky Sports. "He looks like he's enjoying football again. I'm so pleased for him." The focus now shifts to their upcoming match on Saturday.