With progression to the fifth round of the FA Cup for the first time since 2015 secured after a 2-1 victory over Tottenham, Aston Villa now shift their focus back to their push for a top-four finish in the Premier League.
A recent three-match winless spell in the league has seen Unai Emery’s side fall six points behind the leading pack before this round, but they have a prime opportunity to reduce that gap when they welcome Ipswich to Villa Park.
A key reason for Villa’s confidence stems from their formidable home form. They remain unbeaten in their last 11 Premier League matches at Villa Park, having claimed six victories along the way. Their only home setback in the league this season came as early as August against Arsenal. A strong record in past meetings with Ipswich further bolsters their belief, as Villa have lost just once in 14 top-flight encounters between these sides. However, their most recent defeat came against a struggling Wolves side that started the day in the relegation zone, ending a remarkable 19-match unbeaten run against bottom-three teams.
Ipswich, meanwhile, found some respite from their recent league woes with an emphatic 4-1 victory over Coventry in the FA Cup, snapping a run of four consecutive defeats. Unfortunately for Kieran McKenna’s team, each of those losses occurred in the Premier League, with the most recent setback coming against bottom-placed Southampton. That result pushed them into the relegation zone, leaving them three points from safety before this round’s fixtures.
There is some encouragement for Ipswich despite their current struggles. Nine of their 16 league points this season have been earned away from home, showing they can compete on the road. Additionally, they have only suffered consecutive away defeats once so far this campaign. However, history does not favor them at Villa Park, where they have been beaten in ten of their last 12 league visits.
Aston Villa will look to their new signing, Marcus Rashford, to provide a cutting edge in attack. The forward has found the net four times in the Premier League this season, with each goal coming against teams that started the matchday in 15th place or lower. He also scored against Ipswich earlier in the campaign while playing for Manchester United. On the opposite side, Ipswich’s Jack Clarke could be one to watch. Though he has started just once in the league since early December, his recent performance against Coventry, where he recorded two goals and an assist, has put him in contention for a bigger role as he seeks his first Premier League goal.
Aston Villa’s home form and historical dominance in this fixture make them strong favorites, but Ipswich’s ability to pick up points on their travels cannot be ignored. The visitors will need a disciplined defensive display and a clinical touch in front of goal to stand a chance of upsetting the hosts.
One statistic that may give Villa supporters even more optimism is their recent record in home meetings with Ipswich. Four of their last six victories against the Tractor Boys at Villa Park have come by a 2-1 scoreline, a result they would gladly take again as they aim to strengthen their top-four ambitions.
Advertisement
Latest Press Conference
We’re on Social Media
World Time Zones
| Europe | GMT |
 London | 15:00 |
| Edinburgh | 15:00 |
 Madrid | 16:00 |
 Lisbon | 15:00 |
 Berlin | 16:00 |
 Paris | 16:00 |
 Amsterdam | 16:00 |
 Rome | 16:00 |
 Belgrade | 16:00 |
 Sofia | 17:00 |
 Warshaw | 16:00 |
 Tirana | 16:00 |
 Istanbul | 17:00 |
 Kyiv | 17:00 |
 Moscow | 17:00 |
| North America | GMT |
 New York, New York City | 10:00 |
| Texas, Dallas | 09:00 |
| Utah, Salt Lake City | 08:00 |
| California, Santa Clara | 07:00 |
| Alaska, Anchorage | 06:00 |
 St. John’s | 12:00 |
| Halifax | 11:00 |
| Toronto | 10:00 |
| Winnipeg | 09:00 |
| Edmonton | 08:00 |
| Vancouver | 07:00 |
 Mexico City | 08:00 |
| South America | GMT |
 Sao Paulo | 11:00 |
 La Paz | 10:00 |
 Lima | 09:00 |
| Australia | GMT |
 Perth | 22:00 |
| Eucla | 22:45 |
| Darwin | 23:30 |
| Adelaide | 23:30 |
| Brisbane | 00:00 |
| Sydney | 00:00 |
| Asia | GMT |
 Mecca | 17:00 |
 Kabul | 18:30 |
 Karachi | 19:00 |
 New Dehli | 19:30 |
 Dhaka | 20:00 |
 Jakarta | 21:00 |
 Singapore | 22:00 |
 Kuala Lumpur | 22:00 |
| Africa | GMT |
 Accra | 14:00 |
 Porto Novo | 15:00 |
 Casablanca | 15:00 |
 Johannesburg | 16:00 |
 Cairo | 17:00 |
 Nairobi | 17:00 |
Where to watch Aston Villa vs Ipswich Live Stream and on Satellite TV?
beIN Sports MENA Xtra 3 (Ara),
fubo Sports Network 5 DRM (Can),
SuperSport Football Plus ROA (Afr),
True Premier Football 4 (Tha),