Preston vs Aston Villa: Preview, predictions and lineups
- Aston Villa face Championship side Preston in the FA Cup quarter-finals
- Preston the only EFL team left in the competition
- Unai Emery-led Villa haven't lifted FA Cup since 1957
Aston Villa continue their FA Cup journey on Sunday afternoon as they travel to the only EFL side left in the competition: Preston North End.
The Villans have benefitted from playing the entirety of their cup run at Villa Park, although they have beaten Premier League rivals West Ham and Tottenham Hotspur on their way to the last eight. Unai Emery's side beat Cardiff 2-0 last time out.
The seven-time winners have lost two FA Cup finals in the 21st century, but they haven't lifted the trophy since 1957.
Preston were once a dominant force in the English game, but much of their success arrived a century ago. They last prevailed in this competition in 1938 and haven't reached a FA Cup semi-final since 1964.
Paul Heckingbottom has been in charge since 20 August after Ryan Lowe's departure, but Preston have endured a familiar season under the former Sheffield United boss. A stuttering run of form before the international break leaves them 15th in the second tier and only with a remote chance of making the play-offs.
Here is 90min's guide to Sunday's FA Cup quarter-final.
What time does Preston vs Aston Villa kick-off?
- Location: Preston, England
- Stadium: Deepdale
- Date: Sunday 30 March
- Kick-off Time: 13:30 GMT / 08:30 ET / 05:30 PT
- Referee: Chris Kavanagh
- VAR: Tim Robinson
Preston vs Aston Villa head-to-head record (last five games)
- Preston: 0 wins
- Aston Villa: 1 win
- Draws: 4
- Last meeting: Preston 1-1 Aston Villa (29 December 2018) - Championship
Current form (all competitions)
Preston | Aston Villa |
|---|---|
Preston 2-1 Portsmouth - 15/03/25 | Aston Villa 3-0 Club Brugge - 12/03/25 |
Sunderland 1-1 Preston - 11/03/25 | Brentford 0-1 Aston Villa - 08/03/25 |
Sheffield Utd 1-0 Preston - 08/03/25 | Club Brugge 1-3 Aston Villa - 04/03/25 |
Preston 0-0 Swansea - 04/03/25 | Aston Villa 2-0 Cardiff - 28/02/25 |
Preston 3-0 Burnley - 01/03/25 | Crystal Palace 4-1 Aston Villa - 25/02/25 |
How to watch Preston vs Aston Villa on TV - UK and US
Country | TV channel/live stream |
|---|---|
United Kingdom | BBC One, BBC iPlayer |
United States | ESPN+, ESPN App |
Canada | Sportsnet World Now, Sportsnet Now, Sportsnet East, Sportsnet Ontario, Sportsnet Pacific, Sportsnet West, Sportsnet World, Sportsnet Now Plus |
Preston team news
Preston are without a couple of suspended players for Sunday's cup tie, with Sam Greenwood receiving his marching orders against Portsmouth before the break and Ryan Ledson picking up his second booking of the competition in the fifth round.
Kaine Kesler-Hayden is ineligible to face his parent club, while Ryan Porteous is cup-tied.
On the injury front, Jack Whatmough's calf injury could keep him out for the remainder of the season. Ali McCann and striker Milutin Osmajic, who was recently charged by the FA over an alleged racist remark, are doubts.
Preston predicted lineup vs Aston Villa
Preston predicted lineup vs Aston Villa (5-2-1-2): Woodman; Storey, Gibson, Lindsay, Bauer, Brady; Whiteman, Frokjaer-Jensen; Thordarson; Keane, Riis.
Aston Villa team news
Unai Emery will be focusing on Aston Villa's upcoming Champions League quarter-final with Paris Saint-Germain, but there's plenty of time between Sunday's cup tie and the first leg in the French capital.
Thus, we can expect the Villans to be close to full strength this weekend. While Ollie Watkins suffered a minor knee injury before the break, he's trained ahead of the trip to Deepdale and is expected to lead the line.
The visitors are without Ross Barkley and the cup-tied Axel Disasi. Ezri Konsa picked up a knock during England's win over Latvia on Monday but played the entirety of the match and is fit to feature on Sunday.
Aston Villa predicted lineup vs Preston
Aston Villa predicted lineup vs Preston (4-2-3-1): Martinez; Cash, Konsa, Torres, Digne; McGinn, Tielemans; Asensio, Rogers, Ramsey; Watkins.
Preston vs Aston Villa score prediction
Preston haven't had to beat Premier League opposition to reach the quarter-finals, although they impressively beat Burnley 3-0 in the fifth round. They faced Arsenal in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup last October, but were beaten resoundingly.
This is a grand occasion for the hosts, who haven't enjoyed much success in this competition for the best part of 90 years. However, they've got a huge task at their disposal.
While Villa are far from an imperious force on their travels, they shouldn't have too many issues dispatching Heckingbottom's rather uninspiring Preston side this weekend.
Prediction: Preston 0-2 Aston Villa
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