Aston Villa take on Newcastle United in the only other all-Premier League clash in the FA Cup fourth round this weekend. Unai Emery’s side are here courtesy of their win in the third round away at Tottenham Hotspur, with first-half goals from Emiliano Buendia and Morgan Rogers doing the trick.
The Villans have since experienced a topsy-turvy vein of form in the Premier League, and only recently arrested a two-game winless run to get back on track. It remains to be seen how the manager treats the FA Cup, given the many problems he has with his squad, as there are chances he might prioritise the league and the Europa League moving forward.
However, winning a key trophy will be playing in the minds of the Spanish chach as well as for the players and the fans. Hence, Emery might take this upcoming game in the FA Cup seriously, and he will hope to build on the win over Brighton & Hove Albion as a late Jack Hinshelwood own goal helped Villa seal the points in the midweek tie.
Meanwhile, Newcastle United also arrested a major slump following a much-needed win over Tottenham Hotspur. That game was billed as a clash between two underfire managers, and rightfully so, as the defeat for Spurs resulted in the sacking of Thomas Frank.
Eddie Howe will also want to see if his team has the capacity to secure one trophy this season, as they failed in their defence of the EFL Cup, exiting at the semi-final stages. There are challenges ahead, as the Magpies are already struggling with the load of multiple competitions, with their many injuries proof of that.
Now, as Newcastle United travel to Villa Park to lock horns with Aston Villa, Howe will once again come under the spotlight for his ability to maneuver through the challenges of yet another competition.
Aston Villa continue to be without a host of their key stars ahead of this upcoming game, as some of those are not expected to return anytime soon. Youri Tielemans, John McGinn, and Bouabacar Kamara have been a big miss for the team.
Andres Garcia is also missing, while Matty Cash is also expected to sit this one out after being absent for the midweek clash against Brighton & Hove Albion. There is some relief with injuries, with January arrival Alysson now recovering from a knee issue; the youngster could be in line to feature in the squad.
Unai Emery is widely expected to name a strong squad for this clash, considering he might treat it as another Premier League encounter. Marco Bizot might be preferred for the cup competition in place of starter Emiliano Martinez, while Victor Lindelof should replace Ezri Konsa at the heart of the defence.
Lamare Bogarde should deputise in the right-back slot while Lucas Digne is expected to play left-back. Leon Bailey might get a start on the right flank, while Tammy Abraham could lead the line for Aston Villa against Newcastle United. Morgan Rogers and Emiliano Buendia are also expected to feature in the final third.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Bizot; Bogarde, Lindelof, Torres, Digne; Onana, Luiz; Bailey, Rogers, Buendia; Abraham
Eddie Howe has plenty of headaches when it comes to selecting his lineup for this cup clash, with a host of injury issues in front of him to deal with. Key man Bruno Guimaraes returned recently, but there are concerns over the skipper with a hamstring issue, while Lewis Miley is also a doubt.
The Magpies are also missing Joelinton, Tino Livramento, Fabian Schar and Emil Krafth, meaning the focus will be on the defence and who Howe chooses from. He may have no choice but to continue with Malick Thiaw and Sven Botman centrally, while Lewis Hall is expected to feature at left-back.
Jacob Ramsey is set to return to Aston Villa, and he will be confident following his goal in midweek. The Englishman will start alongside Sandro Tonali and Joe Willock in that Newcastle United midfield. Nick Woltemade could be in for a start, which could let Howe push Anthony Gordon and Harvey Barnes to the wide areas.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Ramsdale; Trippier, Thiaw, Botman, Hall; Willock, Tonali, Ramsey; Barnes, Woltemade, Gordon
The new arrival in the winter transfer window is yet to fully assert himself upon his return to English football, and Abraham will be itching for a goal and put in a performance for the ages. He has had a few games without luck, including a disallowed goal in a recent game, but this could be a chance for him to prove his worth.
Abraham needs to show top form for the sake of asserting himself back in the Premier League as well as helping Aston Villa in their quests ahead. It remains to be seen whether he can put in that display in a tough game against Newcastle United, and this could be a fitting encounter in many regards.
Newcastle United have plenty of issues with regard to injuries, and the fact that Eddie Howe is missing some of his influential players. Those absentees do not allow Eddie Howe to rotate his squad well, meaning there could be those under some pressure following multiple outings in a tight schedule.
Villa are not flush with a squad full of fit players, with a host of their players missing too. However, Unai Emery can still rotate and change his players to a degree that Howe will hope he had the powers. Given this game being played at Villa Park, there is the home advantage for the hosts, who might nick a slender victory to progress in the competition.
