Supporters can now vote for their Aston Villa Player of the Month for March 2025.
Unai Emery's side played out what proved to be a perfect month so far as results were concerned, with four victories from their four outings in all competitions ensuring they progressed into the quarter-finals of the Champions League and semi-finals of the FA Cup, while remaining just four points off the top four places of the Premier League table.
Wins in both legs over Club Brugge in our Champions League round of 16 tie secured an emphatic 6-1 aggregate win over the Belgian outfit, either side of a crucial Premier League win on the road at Brentford.
Then, after the international break, Villa returned with a bang, rounding off the month with a win at Preston North End in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup to set up a date at Wembley with Crystal Palace.
Villa started as they meant to go on in March. Just four days after securing a spot in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup on the final day of February, Emery took his side back to Bruges for the first leg of their Champions League last 16 tie.
Leon Bailey's early strike - Villa's quickest in Champions League history - gave the visitors the lead, but Maxim De Cuyper duly hit back for the hosts shortly after. The Villans, however, kept plugging away until the end. Morgan Rogers forced an own goal from Brandon Mechele, before Marco Asensio struck from the penalty spot to put Emery's men in command heading into the second leg.
Attention then turned back to Premier League matters for Villa, with a trip to West London to take on Brentford four days later. Ollie Watkins struck four minutes into the second period to send Villa back up to the midlands with a precious three points having secured a 1-0 triumph.
Then came a memorable second leg in Europe against Club Brugge, which saw the Villans advance to the last eight of Europe's elite competition. After a goalless first half, Emery shuffled his pack at half-time, calling upon Asensio and Bailey from the bench, to devastating effect.
The two substitutes combined five minutes into the second period, the Jamaican teeing up the PSG loanee who fired high into the net to put his side 4-1 up on aggregate. And things got better for Villa seven minutes later, when Ian Maatsen's effort deflected home for his first goal in claret and blue, before Marcus Rashford teed Asensio up just after the hour, for the Spaniard to complete the scoring, rounding off a memorable night and sealing a comprehensive two-legged triumph.
A free weekend opened up by Liverpool's participation in the Carabao Cup final meant the international break began early for Emery and his players, and upon their return, they would advance in yet another competition, booking a spot in the semi-finals of the FA Cup.
Villa headed to Deepdale to take on Preston North End, and were again frustrated in the opening period as the Championship hosts made it to half-time with the score 0-0. But the visitors again showed their class in the second half. Rashford - a threat throughout - stroked Lucas Digne's cross home for his first goal for the club, before adding his and his side's second from the penalty spot five minutes later.
Jacob Ramsey surged at the Preston defence and notched the third 19 minutes from time, as Villa marched through to the last four, where they will play Palace at Wembley this month for a place in the final of the historic competition.
Every player to feature for the club in March is listed in our official poll. Vote for your winner via the link below before our poll closes at 10am on Friday, April 4…
March Player of the Month
