Unai Emery has rung the changes for Aston Villa's crucial FA Cup third-round tie against Tottenham Hotspur this evening. The Villa boss has made a significant six alterations to the side that drew with Crystal Palace in midweek.
Emery's Rotated Starting Lineup
Goalkeeper Marco Bizot gets the nod between the posts, protected by a back four of Matty Cash, Ezri Konsa, Pau Torres, and Lucas Digne. In midfield, the manager opts for a double pivot of Lamare Bogarde and Boubacar Kamara.
The attacking trio behind striker Donyell Malen will consist of captain John McGinn, Emi Buendía, and Morgan Rogers. This reshuffled XI will be looking to replicate Villa's Premier League success at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium earlier this season.
Historical Context Favours Villa
The historical record adds an intriguing layer to this cup fixture. Tottenham have lost two of their last three FA Cup meetings with Villa, including a fourth-round exit at the hands of the Midlands club just last season.
Furthermore, Villa's 2-1 league win at Spurs this term puts them in a rare position. The last top-flight side they beat twice away from home in a single campaign was Norwich City back in the 2012-13 season.
Third-Round Form Guide
Villa will be keen to extend a positive recent trend in this stage of the competition. They have won their last two FA Cup third-round ties, which marks a stark improvement after being eliminated at this same stage in each of the seven campaigns prior.
Spurs, however, are notoriously strong starters in the FA Cup. They have progressed from 18 of their last 19 third-round ties, enjoying a run of 11 consecutive successes since a 2-0 loss to Arsenal in 2013-14.
Aston Villa starting XI: Bizot, Cash, Konsa, Pau, Digne, Bogarde, Kamara, McGinn, Rogers, Buendia, Malen.
Substitutes: Wright, Lindelof, Mings, Tielemans, Watkins, Maatsen, Garcia, Sancho, Hemmings.
