Liverpool coach Arne Slot backs Marcus Rashford to shine at Aston Villa

The Reds will face Unai Emery’s side on Wednesday night.

Arne Slot, the manager of Liverpool, acknowledged that he would be shocked if Marcus Rashford didn’t make an impression while on loan at Aston Villa.

The Premier League leaders will face Aston Villa in the league game and a win can see them go ten points clear. Rashford who was frozen out of Manchester United squad joined the Villans on loan. So far the forward has made a meaningful impact and will be hoping to show his credentials when they host the Reds.

Rashford, who hadn’t played for United in the Premier League since early December, came off the bench for Villa at halftime on Saturday and helped them rally to a 1-1 draw with Ipswich. He also set up Ollie Watkins’ goal when his incredible free shot struck the woodwork and the rebound met his compatriot who equalised the score.

Asked for his opinion on the England international, Slot said:

‘I was really impressed how fast he is. He has a nice height and is comfortable with the ball. I hope for him he is going to show that at Villa but of course I am not hoping he does it against us.

‘I will be completely surprised if a player of this quality doesn’t show it in the upcoming months because he is a very good player.’

🚨🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Arne Slot on Marcus Rashford: "I was really impressed by how fast he is, he has a nice height”.“I will be completely surprised if a player of that quality will not show this in the upcoming months. He's a very good player”. @BeanymanSports 🎥 pic.twitter.com/xiACequSj6

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) February 18, 2025

Liverpool could lead by ten points if they defeat Villa, but they have struggled in their previous three games—losing to Plymouth in the FA Cup, drawing at Everton, and then surviving to defeat Wolves 2-1 on Sunday without a second-half goal.

Slot further stated that Liverpool will not have defender Joe Gomez or forward Cody Gakpo against Villa, with the latter expected to miss a large portion of the remaining season.

“Both will be unavailable for tomorrow,” Slot said. “Cody is close to being back and Joe will take quite a long time. He will be out for a number of weeks. It is [a big blow] for him and for us.”

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