Aston Villa get their 2023/24 FA Cup campaign underway with a trip to Championship side Middlesbrough on Saturday at 5:30pm (UK time).

Aston Villa are flying in the Premier League right now and will have a top-four finish in their sights, but fans may also fancy a cup run and the chance for a first piece of major silverware since the 1995/96 EFL Cup.

The Villans are seven-time FA Cup winners with only five teams winning the competitions more, but they haven’t lifted the trophy since 1957, most recently being losing finalists to Arsenal in 2015 – beaten 4-0 at Wembley.

Since then it has been despair in the FA Cup, with Villa being knocked out in the fourth round before seven-straight exits at the first hurdle.

To put that in other terms, Villa have lost nine of their last 10 FA Cup ties.

But Middlesbrough are one-time FA Cup finalists, losing to Chelsea in 1997, and have a host of early exits in their recent history. In three of the past four seasons, Boro have bowed out in the third round, with the sole exception their run to the quarter-finals in 2021/22 when they were beaten by Chelsea. Boro’s last four FA Cup defeats have been to Premier League sides, but they did also beat Manchester United and Tottenham en route to the quarter-finals two seasons ago. Middlesbrough have also had fun in the cup this season, reaching the semi-finals of the EFL Cup where they will battle Mauricio Pochettino’s side for a place at Wembley.

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