Aston Villa's FA Cup Lineup: Emery Makes Seven Changes for Newcastle Clash

Unai Emery has officially confirmed the Aston Villa starting lineup for their highly anticipated FA Cup fourth-round encounter against Newcastle United this evening. The manager has implemented a significant reshuffle, making seven changes from the side that secured a narrow 1-0 victory over Brighton in midweek.

Villa's Revamped Starting Eleven

In goal, Marco Bizot gets the nod, protected by a defensive line consisting of Lamare Bogarde, Victor Lindelof, Pau Torres, and Lucas Digne. The midfield sees Amadou Onana partnering with Douglas Luiz, while the attacking trio of Leon Bailey, Ross Barkley, and Morgan Rogers will provide support to striker Tammy Abraham.

This selection marks a bold move by Emery as Villa aim to build on their recent 2-1 third-round win against Tottenham in north London. Newcastle, meanwhile, advanced to this stage after defeating Bournemouth on penalties.

Home Form and Opposition Challenges

Aston Villa are targeting back-to-back home victories across all competitions for the first time since their impressive 11-match winning streak at Villa Park was halted by Everton last month. On the other side, Newcastle United managed only their second away win in 12 attempts with a 2-1 triumph over Spurs on Tuesday.

However, the Magpies face significant setbacks, with influential midfielder Bruno Guimaraes ruled out due to injury, and Joelinton and Lewis Miley also unavailable for tonight's fixture.

Full Team Details

Aston Villa starting XI vs Newcastle: Bizot; Bogarde, Lindelof, Torres, Digne; Onana, Luiz; Bailey, Barkley, Rogers; Abraham.

Substitutes: Martinez, Konsa, Mings, Buendia, Watkins, Garcia, Sancho, Maatsen, Kone.

This match promises to be a thrilling FA Cup tie as both teams navigate lineup changes and injury concerns in pursuit of progression to the next round.