Aston Villa are back in action this weekend in the FA Cup

Aston Villa face fellow Premier League side West Ham in the third round of the FA Cup. The tie kicks off at 8pm on Friday evening at Villa Park as the pair battle it out for a place in round four.

The FA have confirmed that Tim Robinson will referee the game. Timothy Wood and Steven Meredith have been appointed as the assistant referees, with Robert Madley as the fourth official. There will be no VAR.

Aston Villa take on West Ham

Aston Villa head into the match on the back of their 2-1 win over Leicester City last time out in the league. Ross Barkley and Leon Bailey got their goals against the Foxes as they picked up all three points.

Unai Emery’s side are currently sat in 8th place in the table as they look to get into Europe again. They finished in the top four last season.

As for West Ham, it has been a tough campaign for the London outfit so far. They find themselves in 14th place in the league and are seven points above the drop zone. Promoted trio Ipswich Town, Leicester and Southampton currently occupy the bottom three.

The Hammers lost 4-1 away at Manchester City in their last outing. They were also thumped 5-0 at home by Liverpool the week before so they are conceding goals for fun at the moment.

Aston Villa boss Unai Emery speaks out

The FA Cup is a good opportunity for Aston Villa to win a trophy. They have won it seven times in the past but their last win came back in 1957.

Speaking after their victory over Leicester, Emery said: “I’m very happy. I’m glad because we needed to win these three points to start the second half of the season with the motivation we have to be in the top ten and the European positions.

“In Villa Park, we are trying to feel strong and comfortable with our supporters and trying to play with energy. We have to transmit that to our supporters and be positive. We are feeling strong here and our players are comfortable with our supporters here in Villa Park.”

He added: “The fortress is something we have to feel here and I think we are doing it. The supporters are helping us a lot. After their goal, we needed the supporters and they were supporting and helping us.

“Together, we did this victory. We are trying to start the second part of this season motivated with the points we are achieving. We have to be confident for the next matches and the next challenges. Now we’re away against Everton and Arsenal and we have to feel our power at home and away to get the challenge we have.”

Aston Villa have until the end of the January transfer window to bring in some new players to bolster their ranks ahead of the second-half of this term. They also have the chance to let some individuals head out the exit door to free up space and funds.