Aston Villa’s ambition bucks January transfer trend in glory hunt

Rashford has now made 11 appearances with six starts. The 27-year-old has three goals and has created 19 chances in 607 minutes on the pitch.

Malen’s Villa career has been more of a slow burner, but his confidence will be boosted by a fine performance as a substitute capped with a goal.

There was undoubtedly an element of gamble about Villa’s work in January, but it is paying off as their season moves towards a potentially glorious conclusion fuelled by their work in this month.

It is a strategy reflected in results, with Villa’s latest win putting them just three points behind Manchester City in fourth place in the Premier League table with eight games left.

Before Rashford and Asensio made their league debuts, Villa had played 24 games, winning 10, drawing seven and losing seven with a points-per-game ratio of 1.54.

In the league games since, they have played six, won three, drawn two and lost one at 1.83 points per game – with both players making crucial contributions in the FA Cup and Champions League.

It remains to be seen if Villa can persuade – or indeed want – Asensio and Rashford to extend their stays, but the results in the crucial short-term and bringing rich dividends.

In a January window often characterised by panic buys and a desire to correct errors from the summer window, Villa have played it smart and can move towards the season’s conclusion with huge optimism and expectation.