Match Pack

Holders Villa make it through to the FA Youth Cup fifth round and a tie with Southend or Wrexham after surviving a late scare at Fleetwood.

As night follows day, so does a poor Villa display follow an opportunity to make a step change in the table. Injuries, of course, are guided by misfortune; repeatedly failing to raise your game is not.

It was a cruel draw, away to the European champions in Villa's first FA Cup game of the season, and despite a valiant effort, Villa are eliminated at the first hurdle.

The draw for the Fifth Round of the FA Youth Cup has been made, and the winners of next Tuesday’s tie against Fleetwood will face a home draw against either Southend or Wrexham u18 and Villa will travel to West Ham on Tuesday, 3rd February in the Premier League Cup Quarter-Final,

🟨 16 Jan 2026 Derby 0-0 Villa The 21s were held to a goalless draw at Derby on their return to PL2 action this evening.

Out: GK Emiliano Martínez | 🇦🇷 | DM Amadou Onana | 🇧🇪 | DM Boubacar Kamara | 🇫🇷 | CM Ross Barkley | 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 | RW Alysson 🇧🇷 Returning: CF Evann Guessand | 🇨🇮 | Gone: RW Donyell Malen | 🇳🇱 |

Villa play at home for the first time in six, and are on an eight-game winning run at Villa Park and are unbeaten since 1906 or something like that.

Reigning Champions, Villa's u18s were beaten this afternoon in their game at Tottenham's Hotspur Way training ground. Going into their first game since the winter break, joint second in the table, Richard Beale's boys fall to 5th in the table after conceding an 83rd-minute winner.

So it's Newcastle United at home in the 4th Round of the 2025-26 FA Cup. If any tie has had an impact on the ultimate destination of the FA Cup, it is this one. Villa and Newcastle have met one another six times in the FA Cup (excluding replays). On five of the six occasions the two teams have met in the competition, one or the other of Villa or Newcastle has gone on to win the FA Cup. Villa's double winning squad of 1896-97 having beaten Newcastle in the FA Cup First Round.

The u18s face Spurs in the u18 Premier League on Wednesday before the u21s travel to Derby in PL2 on Friday. With no Saturday game, it's Villa Everton at VP as we try to close the gap on leaders Arsenal, but there's a tough fixture in the WSL away to Arsenal.

Of course, we all know that Manchester City will draw a home tie against the lowest-ranking team in the competition... but is the FA Cup draw really as biased against Villa as many of us think? The FA Cup fourth round proper draw will be made on Monday 12 January 2026. Some facts and a completely unscientific prediction.

Villa leapfrogged Brighton into 6th place in the WSL after coming from behind to an 11th-minute goal from the visitors to score two goals in two second-half minutes.

Through! And Spurs' thug fest comes to nought.

Domestic cups haven't been kind to Villa in recent years, but neither have Villa been kind to domestic cups. Villa's fifth successive away game in London could throw up a freak Cup result, but aside of a performance like the first 30 minutes of the second-half against Palace, Villa should qualify for the fourth round with room to spare.

The u21s visit to Brighton in PL2 on Friday is ⚠️ Postponed ⚠️ 🌨️. But, Saturday sees Villa open their 2025-26 FA Cup campaign at Tottenham. Sunday sees a double header as the Women meet Brighton at VP and the u18s take on Reading at Bodymoor.

We weren't at our usual level but still had our moments. With City drawing nothing's changed, we're still neck and neck. Tomorrow is Arsenal-Liverpool, and there's not a bad outcome for us there. Win, win, win, even if the most important win didn't happen

Tyrone Mings and Pau Torres will be assessed over the next 24 hours to see if they are ready to return, having missed 13 and 6 games, respectively.

Palace are 15 points behind Villa, 14th in the table, and are on a three-game losing run having not won at Selhurst in the League since 1st November and having not won a League game at all since 7th December.

SJM scores a second half brace after his miss of the decade last time out. Villa make it 18 wins in 21 games, move second in the table with 18 games left to play.

Forest are twenty-one points behind Villa after nineteen games and are on a three-game losing run coming into this game. Three points for the visitors then.