Struggling Aston Villa host Championship high flyers Bournemouth at Villa Park on Sunday as the Villains aim to avoid an upset and avoid becoming the sixth Premier League team to be eliminated this weekend.
Chelsea, Manchester City, Spurs, Swansea and Southampton all lost on Saturday, with Villa being one of nine Premier League teams still in the competition. It won't be easy for Paul Lambert's men however, as Eddie Howe's Bournemouth sit top of the Championship after a stellar start to the season.
The worrying thing for Lambert however, is that the Cherries are the highest scorers in the top four tiers of English football, with 57 goals, and Villa are currently the lowest, with a rather pitiful 11. Lambert will need star strikers such as Christian Benteke to start firing on all cylinders if he is to guide his side to Wembley.
This is the first meeting in the FA Cup between these two sides, with it being only the third time these two sides have met at Villa Park in a competitive fixture. The one saving grace for Villa is that Bournemouth's record against top flight sides in the Cup is poor. With the Cherries only winning three in 31 games (W3, D7, L21).
Bournemouth haven't reached the fifth round since 1989, and Cherries boss Howe acknowledges that there is some 'pressure' on the side on Sunday. "There's always pressure regardless of where you are in the league and whether you are home or away." He added that "we have flexibility and freedom, but that's not to say we won't try and be strong, competitive and give Aston Villa a good game."
Counterpart Paul Lambert decided to focus his pre-match comments on winning competitions. No stranger to winning, Lambert, who has a Champions League win with Dortmund as well as countless Scottish Premier League crowns with Celtic under his belt, said in his press conference that "you want to win something whatever club you're at, football is all about winning."
He also said that his side have a certain amount of expectancy upon them. "They (Bournemouth) are doing well in the league. "The expectancy level is on us. "If Bournemouth were playing a team from League One, they'd have the expectancy level." He was also keen to mention that should his players give the kind of performance they showed in the second half at Liverpool, they have a "really good chance of progressing."
Team News
Aston Villa - Lambert may be able to call on Gabby Agbonlahor and Joe Cole back after hamstring problems, they are to be assessed before the match on Sunday. Cieran Clark is available after a one match suspension for his sending off in the ill-tempered match against Leicester a couple of weeks ago. But whether Lambert plays him or sticks with Jones Okore and Nathan Baker remains to be seen.
Carles Gil may get a first start since his move from Valencia after an impressive debut against Liverpool last week. However Ron Vlaar (knee), Philippe Senderos (calf) and Libor Kozak (leg) all remain missing for the fourth round tie.
Bournemouth - Eddie Howe has no injury concerns ahead of the game at Villa Park, with Dan Gosling pushing for a start with Brett Pittman possibly moving aside. Goalkeeper Artur Boruc is expected to start in goal after an impressive comeback from injury in the midweek defeat to Leeds United.
On paper this game looks set to provide another upset, with Bournemouth being so prolific and Villa being the polar opposite, it only looks like a Bournemouth win. However Villa appear to be improving, and should Agbonlahor and Benteke start firing on all cyinders, it could prove to be an exciting game.