Two more goals from Marco Asensio enabled Aston Villa to reach the last eight of the FA Cup for the first time since they made it to the final in 2015.
Unai Emery’s team continue to blow hot and cold but, four points off fifth place in the Premier League and with a last-16 tie with Club Brugge starting on Tuesday, all their dreams remain possible.
Cardiff City, only six points above the relegation zone in the EFL Championship, made Villa work hard but Asensio, on loan from PSG, followed up last Saturday’s goals in the win over Chelsea with another pair here. Marcus Rashford again assisted the first.
The clinching goal arrived 10 minutes from time when Leon Bailey pulled a cross back from the right byline and, after Ollie Watkins dummied, the former Real Madrid forward slotted home calmly.
The game was preceded by a celebration in memory of Peter Whittingham, who died five years ago this March after a career in which he represented both these teams with distinction.
The 6,500 Cardiff fans, in particular, were in fine voice for this rarefied occasion. Villa had not reached the fifth round since their run to the final in 2014-15, Cardiff not since 12 months before that, and both named strong lineups, despite having Tuesday fixtures before and after this tie.
Villa could have been forgiven for rotating more, considering they return to Champions League action in Bruges next week, but Asensio and Rashford were among the five changes made in a very attacking selection. With John McGinn and Youri Tielemans anchoring the midfield, the game soon settled into attack v defence mode.
This made penetrating a low block challenging, though Ollie Watkins did cut through only for his ball to nick off Ethan Horvath and go just wide of the post.
Cardiff were defending manfully, though chasing the ball so much was draining. So when a half-hacked clearance fell only as far as Leon Bailey on the edge of the penalty area, it took a superb flying save from Horvath to keep the scores level.
Rashford reportedly has made his mind up he wants to turn his loan from Manchester United into a permanent deal this summer. Although he has impressed to some degree with flashes of his talent in his first month at Villa Park, he will want to finesse his scoring technique if the admiration is to be as strongly mutual. When Bailey got to the byline and flashed over a cross to the far post, Rashford failed to set himself properly and wafted his volley over the bar from six yards.
Chants of “Champions League, you’re having a laugh” started to ring out as Cardiff sensed Villa were finding this harder going than they had envisaged.
Rashford’s best contribution of the first half came two minutes before the break when he nodded Ian Maatsen’s header on for Watkins who, stealing in on the blindside, saw his close-range volley saved by Horvath.
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The American goalkeeper had to earn his corn as Villa came out all guns blazing at the start of the second half. Horvath palmed aside McGinn’s shot from 18 yards then, after Asensio pulled the rebound back, Andrés García’s effort was blocked.
Moments later the former Luton and Nottingham Forest goalkeeper had to dive spectacularly to his left to repel Rashford’s powerful drive. Jak Alnwick, Cardiff’s regular No 1, was ruled out for the season with a hamstring injury this week, but Horvath was certainly taking his opportunity.
Cardiff’s ambitions had been compromised by this stage. Callum Robinson, one of their two former Villa players starting here, was replaced at the interval by Yousef Salech but the 6ft 5in Danish striker was soon putting himself about. Two Villa players required treatment after one foray.
Still it was the Cardiff fans making themselves heard most volubly, even as Watkins, receiving Rashford’s pass, curled another chance just wide. If Salech’s effort from Perry Ng’s cross had squirmed past Emi Martínez, the roof might have come off the Trinity Road Stand.
Instead, the majority of Villa fans were celebrating moments later as Asensio gave the Premier League side the lead. Tielemans spotted Rashford’s run and lofted his pass into the left channel perfectly for the England striker to square his pass first time for his fellow loanee to hit home on the half volley.
Watkins almost helped make the game safe 14 minutes from time when, having rounded Horvath, he pulled the ball back for Rashford. Having sidestepped one defender coolly, however, the striker was left waiting for his first Villa goal as Joel Bagan bravely blocked his shot at point-blank range.
