For Aston Villa FC, this season has been a bit of a mixed bag. In the FA Cup, they’re reached the quarterfinals, where they have the benefit of the easiest draw of this round in Preston North End.
Taking on a middle of the Championship table side, hence a lower tier team, sets them up for success this weekend.
FA Cup Quarterfinals FYIs
Aston Villa at Preston North End
Kickoff: Sun. March 30, Deepdale, Preston, UK
Preview Material for Both Sides: Starting Lineup Predictions Team News
Aston Villa Injury Report: go here
Previews of the other Sun. FA Cup Qterfinal (Manchester City vs AFC Bournemouth) Lineup Predicts Team News
A berth in the FA Cup semifinals seems imminent for the Villans. And in the UEFA Champions League they’re looking real good as well. All signs point to Unai Emery’s men continuing their deep run in Europe.
In the league though, that’s a very different story. Despite a very ambitious January transfer window, they’re still languishing mid-table, and now see their chances of securing football for next season diminishing.
Starting Lineup Predictions
Preston North End
Woodman; Kesler-Hayden, Porteous, Lindsay, Gibson, Meghoma; Ledson, Whiteman, Evans; Keane, Brady.
Aston Villa
Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Mings, Digne; Kamara, Tielemans; Rogers, Asensio, Rashford; Watkins
Paul M. Banks is the Founding Editor of The Sports Bank. He’s also the author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” and “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He currently contributes to USA Today’s NFL Wires Network, the Internet Baseball Writers Association of America and RG. His past bylines include the New York Daily News, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune. His work has been featured in numerous outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, the Washington Post and ESPN. You can follow him on Linked In and Twitter.