ciaran kelly
BBC Sports Correspondent at Villa Park

Will this be Aston Villa’s year?

Unai Emery has made it clear that the Premier League is his priority.

But Aston Villa’s manager hailed the FA Cup as “the most beautiful cup in the world” as his side aim to stay in contention for the trophy for the first time since 1996.

“We are mindful of how important the FA Cup is to our fans,” he wrote in his program notes ahead of the fourth round match against Newcastle United.

Reaching the last 16 may be the only thing at stake tonight, but the prospect of returning to Wembley someday is of course a huge source of inspiration for Newcastle.

Eddie Howe’s side won the EFL Cup last season, ending a 70-year wait for a major domestic trophy.

Forward Anthony Elanga, who joined the club from Nottingham Forest last summer, watched from afar as 150,000 supporters lined the streets of Newcastle for the victory parade.

That gave Swedes “an incentive to contribute more.”

“Villa are a top team but we believe in ourselves,” he said. “Here at the club, the goal is not just to get involved, but to go far, and it’s a great opportunity to go there and really make a mark.”