'Pretty hopeless' - Chris Sutton makes Cardiff claim and questions Aston Villa priority ahead of FA Cup clash

Aston Villa take on Cardiff City on Friday night in the fifth round of the FA Cup. Unai Emery’s side will progress to the quarter-final if they can see off the Bluebirds at Villa Park.

The hosts head into the game on the back of their 4-1 loss away at Crystal Palace last time out in the Premier League. Morgan Rogers got their goal at Selhurst Park but it ended up being a disappointing evening.

Villa are currently sat in 10th place in the Premier League. They are aiming to get into Europe again this season but need to find more consistency.

Chris Sutton’s Aston Villa prediction

Former Aston Villa striker Chris Sutton has backed them to beat Cardiff and get through to the next round of the FA Cup. He has delivered verdict on the tie, as per BBC Sport: “The rest of the season is going to be a bit of a juggling act for Aston Villa. They are still in the Champions League and also trying to finish high enough in the Premier League to qualify for it again next season.

“So, it will be interesting to see if they target the FA Cup too. I'm sure Unai Emery would ideally like to keep his finger in every pie, but we've seen how that has stretched his squad already. Still, this is where you want to be as a Villa fan, with your team fighting on all fronts near the end of the season - and they will be favourites for this tie even if Emery rests players.

“Let's face it, Cardiff are pretty hopeless, especially on the road where they have only won one Championship game all season. Cardiff have won away twice in the FA Cup, against Sheffield United and Stoke City, but it was basically the Blades reserves who they beat in round three.

“They may rest players too - it depends whether they prioritise this tie or their relegation fight and Tuesday's league game at home to Burnley - but, even if they don't make changes, Villa will probably be too strong for them, especially at home. Sutton's prediction: 3-1.”

Cardiff City latest ahead of Aston Villa trip

It has been a tough campaign for date for Cardiff. They are battling to stay up in the second tier and are six points above the drop zone.

The Bluebirds turned to Omer Riza as their replacement for Erol Bulut last year. The Welsh outfit won 1-0 at home to Hull City last time out to boost their survival hopes with ex-Aston Villa attacker Callum Robinson getting their winner against the Tigers.

Speaking after their last win, Riza said: “We've kept a clean sheet and we were really fantastic defensively. I’m relieved; we needed it. I think we knew that, the players knew that, the staff knew that. We've come close on a few occasions and not managed to do it against teams around us. I think we did what we needed to do and that's important as well. It shows that resilience, that togetherness.”