Aston Villa 2-0 Cardiff City: FLW report as Asensio double ends Bluebirds' FA Cup dream | OneFootball

FLW report from Villa Park for this FA Cup Fifth Round tie.

Cardiff City's 2024/25 FA Cup run concluded at the hands of Aston Villa on Friday evening, despite a gallant effort from those in Blue and White at Villa Park.

After holding out for most of the encounter, largely down to Ethan Horvath's heroics between the sticks, the relegation-threatened Championship side were undone by a Marco Asensio double, as the Spain international continued his fine form since moving to English football last month.

Villa have now booked their place in the quarter-finals of the famous competition for the first time since 2015, when they went on to reach the showpiece final at Wembley, whilst Cardiff have now failed to progress past the fifth round stage for the 17th-straight season, as attention now fully turns to their remaining 12 league games.

Aston Villa 2-0 Cardiff City

Despite the Premier League side dominating the early exchanges, Riza's defence stood firm with Perry Ng standing firm against the threat of Marcus Rashford, with the Manchester United loanee's teasing cross on six minutes too hard for Leon Bailey to connect with.

Dimitrious Goutas then presented the Villans with their next sight of goal after a mistimed lunge on Watkins, although Rashford's 25-yard free-kick fell straight into Horvath's path, before John McGinn was afforded time and space to fire an eventually tame effort at the American after 12 minutes.

Rashford would then see three chances in a matter of chances spurned from a short corner, before the Bluebirds shot-stopper would brilliantly get down low to push Watkins' first effort of the night around the post, with Ng also out quick to thwart a powerful Youri Tielemans effort from the resulting corner.

On the 20-minute mark, Cardiff would be grateful for the services of captain Aaron Ramsey, who used his experience to get in front of yet another close-range effort from Tielemans after Rashford evaded Ng's challenge on the left flank.

Five minutes later, former Villa cult hero Anwar El Ghazi saw claims for a penalty waved away after falling under a challenge from Ian Maatsen following a raking through ball by Ramsey. Despite protests from Riza on the sideline, the Dutchman was judged to have been in an offside position.

The second tier outfit's first effort came after 31 minutes following a swift break on the right side involving El Ghazi and Ng, with Chris Willock's eventual attempt blocked by Konsa.

Emery's men would instantly respond, and after a sublime first touch from Asensio who looked for Watkins, Bailey would pack a punch that Horvath was more-than equal to, tipping the Jamaican winger's effort over the bar, with Rashford then enduring a forgettable moment as he blazed a fizzing cross from Bailey over the top from three yards out with the goal at his mercy.

Five minutes before the break, Rubin Colwill found Luey Giles in space down the Cardiff left, and after being fed through by Willock, El Ghazi dragged a low drive just wide of Emi Martinez's right-hand post as the Welsh side's belief continued to grow as the half drew on.

Ng would also see a penalty appeal waved away less than a minute afterward following a coming together with Lamare Bogarde, with Peter Bankes dismissing such claims.

Horvath would then prove to be the scourge of Watkins from close range as the England international poked a Rashford flick-on towards goal, with the 29-year-old spreading himself well to deny the frontman.

Robinson's return to B6 ended at the break as he was replaced by Yousef Salech, with the Dane's first involvement seeing him fail to edge past Konsa on the break after Bailey's looping effort was caught by Horvath.

The Bluebirds keeper would then see a McGinn effort late but tip the Scot's curling effort around the post, before denying Andres Garcia from a tight angle as the hosts' dominance continued into the second period, with the former Nottingham Forest man at full-stretch once more to deny a fierce drive from Rashford.

Yet another chance came and went for the Premier League side on the hour-mark with the January recruit finding Watkins in space inside the box, with the normally potent striker bending his effort off-target.

With 25 minutes left on the clock, Riza's men looked to catch the Villa defence cold as Ng's low ball was met by Salech, but the striker's effort was well saved by Martinez.

However, the visitors' defensive resolve would be broken two minutes later courtesy of Asensio's third goal for the Champions League outfit as Tielemans' chip found the onrushing Rashford who was able to pick out the unchallenged Spaniard, who fired a powerful drive past Horvath.

The Villans had a chance to all-but seal their place in the last eight with 15 minutes to go as Watkins rounded the Cardiff keeper and picked out Rashford, whose night of misery in front of goal as he scuffed his lines inside the six-yard box, before his attacking partner blazed a hopeful return effort well wide.

Salech was then at the centre of two potential openings for the visitors but was adjudged to have fouled Maatsen and Bogarde, before daylight was eventually put between the two sides.

Bailey - a constant outlet out wide - was able to drift past substitute Joel Bagan, and his cross was deftly flicked on by Watkins into Asensio's path, with the PSG loanee the coolest man inside Villa Park to slot his second of the evening past an outstretched Horvath.

As the game drifted into four minutes of added time, substitute Alex Robertson looked to draw a consolation for the visitors as his effort hit Tielemans, before Villa sub Morgan Rogers failed to put extra gloss on proceedings, firing over the top in what was the last action of the game.

FT: Aston Villa 2-0 Cardiff City

Player Ratings

Aston Villa

Emiliano Martínez - 6.5

Andres Garcia - 7

Ezri Konsa - 7.5

Lamare Bogarde - 7

Ian Maatsen - 8 (Digne 82" - 6)

Leon Bailey - 7

John McGinn - 7.5

Youri Tielemans - 7.5

Marcus Rashford - 8 (Rogers 82" - 6)

Marco Asensio - 9 (Ramsey 82" - 6)

Ollie Watkins - 7.5 (Jimoh-Alobah 82" - 6)

Unused Subs: Robin Olsen, Oliwier Zych, Triston Rowe, Boubacar Kamara

Cardiff City

Ethan Horvath - 7.5

Perry Ng - 6.5

Dylan Lawlor - 6.5 (Ashford 81" - 2)

Dimitrios Goutas - 6.5

Will Fish - 6.5

Luey Giles - 6.5 (Bagan 64" - 6.5)

Aaron Ramsey - 7 (Robertson 64" - 6)

Rubin Colwill - 7

Chris Willock - 6.5 (Davies 81" - 6)

Anwar El Ghazi - 6.5

Callum Robinson - 6 (Salech 45" - 6.5)

Unused Subs: Matt Turner, Callum O'Dowda, Sivert Mannsverk, Tanatswa Nyakuwha

Attendance

There were 40,175 inside Villa Park for tonight's cup tie.

This included an estimated 6,000+ Bluebirds fans who made the journey up to the West Midlands.

Unai Emery's reaction as Aston Villa make further FA Cup progress

Speaking post-match after progressing to the quarter-final, Emery was pleased with his side's professionalism against the Bluebirds.

"Yes (we played) very well." he began. "Everything we planned before, more or less, was (there) in 90 minutes.

"The passion we showed, the process we did in 90 minutes, professionally controlling the game, keeping possession, trying to avoid transition and their threat, we didn't concede corners.

"That, more or less, was the plan we did, and the players responded fantastically," the Spaniard added.

"Even creating chances but not being clinical, we were feeling more comfortable and confident to play the way we did in 90 minutes.

"When we scored the first goal, it was the opening for the victory we had," he stated.

"Of course, we respect the opponent, respect the competition and use the match to add more minutes and the possibility to get more confidence in our structure.

"We are trying to get stronger with the new players, some tactical changes as well. Of course, today the match was good for some information I can have through it and as well, winning the match," Emery concluded.

Addressing the media post-match, Riza was extremely proud of his side's overall performance in defeat to an extremely strong Villa side on the night.

He said: "Yes, I'm obviously disappointed we didn't get a result, but it is Aston Villa.

"They are a Premier League side, they are in the Champions League, and they put out a very strong side today in the FA Cup.

"We had a game-plan to try and frustrate them and stop them playing forwards early, scoring goals, and I think we did that to a certain extent," the Bluebirds boss added. "Other than the two moments that cost us, where we maybe, switched off.

"I'm really pleased with the boys," Riza continued. "They showed really good focus throughout the game, and I think that defensive focus is something we can take with us into the league, because they've shown they can do it.

"Obviously, the setup may be different against Championship opposition, but, in general, I'm really happy with the boys," the 45-year-old concluded.