Preston vs Aston Villa

The last lower league team remaining in the FA Cup 2022 stretches its luck at Deepdale Stadium when Preston North End welcomes Aston Villa in a quarter-final match.

Ahead of their matchup with the Gunners Paul Heckingbottom's side produced three unruled goals against Burnley during the Last 16 match.

The European football double remains viable for Aston Villa during this part of the season as manager Unai Emery demonstrates his knockout expertise in both the FA Cup and Champions League.

The Villans easily navigated past their home opponents West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur in the previous rounds of the tournament so they were not anticipated to face significant resistance from Cardiff City in the last 16 even though Marco Asensio scored twice in the second half to advance them beyond the last 16.

The double goal achievement from the Paris Saint-Germain loan player completed a 10-year drought for Villa's progression beyond the FA Cup quarterfinals since the year 2014-2015 when they defeated West Bromwich Albion but suffered a defeat by the record title holders Arsenal in the final.

Since 1991-92 the Villans have recorded wins in four consecutive FA Cup quarter-final appearances and they used that success to start their international break with a four-game win streak across all competitions.

The 1-0 triumph against Brentford in the Premier League occurred between two Champions League last-16 triumphs versus Club Brugge which now leads to a PSG meeting in next month's quarter-finals although Preston receives higher priority at the moment.

Preston is getting ready for their fourth straight home game in the 2024–25 FA Cup, where they defeated Charlton Athletic and Wycombe Wanderers before facing Burnley in an all-Championship encounter. Villa is getting ready to travel for the first time this season.

Scott Parker's Clarets had taken great satisfaction in their outstanding defensive record in the Championship this year, but Preston took advantage of Parker's resource rotation to pull off an incredible 3-0 victory in the round of sixteen, with to goals from Robbie Brady, Milutin Osmajic, and Will Keane.

While Aston Villa reached the FA Cup quarter-finals just a decade ago, Preston North End’s last appearance in this stage dates back to 1966—the year England won the World Cup. Back then, they faced Manchester United but fell short against the Red Devils.

Heckingbottom’s squad heads into the international break with renewed confidence after snapping a six-game winless streak in the Championship with a 2-1 victory over Portsmouth on March 15. However, their recent FA Cup record against Premier League opponents is bleak, with 18 losses in their last 19 such matches.

Preston’s fans might prefer to ignore the historical head-to-head stats as well. They’ve only managed one win in their last 15 encounters with Aston Villa across all competitions. That said, their three most recent meetings—all Championship clashes in 2018—ended in draws, offering a glimmer of hope.