Aston Villa v West Ham United: FA Cup third round – live

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Villa boss Unai Emery speaks to ITV. “Good evening … the history of this cup is very important … a way for us for a trophy … seven times Villa won, a long time ago … we are proud of those trophies Villa won … we need this competition … a chance to get to Europe … West Ham are going to be motivated … for every team it is important … we want to be a protagonist in this competition … we need to connect with our fans … our wish to win is strong.”

These clubs have only met in the FA Cup on three previous occasions, and anyone who believes in omens will be excited that they’re meeting for a fourth. The first-ever showdown in 1913 saw Villa win 5-0 in the second round, thanks to goals from Harold Halse (2), Clem Stephenson, Harry Hampton and William Morris; they went on to lift the trophy. The third time they met, West Ham legend Ray Stewart scored the only goal in the 1980 quarter-finals, and the Hammers ended up raising the cup at Wembley. The one in the middle, a 3-0 victory for Villa courtesy of goals from John Deehan (2) and Dennis Mortimer, didn’t lead to any glory whatsoever, so in that sense muddies the waters. But two out of three ain’t bad. Today’s winner is therefore permitted to dream, and dream big. (Superstitious Villa fans can also, in the event their team loses 1-0 like they did in 1980, assume they’re going to win the league next year and the European Cup in 2027.)

Graham Potter is celebrating his 24-hour anniversary as West Ham United boss, and here’s the new boss talking to ITV. “West Ham are a fantastic football club … great history, tradition … ambition … a family feel … a well-functioning academy … an ambitious board … it felt really right … I feel like I've come back stronger … a better person and coach … I’m really excited … we had a training session yesterday … met everybody … tried to get my bearings … prepared the team … a day in the hotel today as well … the response has been brilliant … the players have taken on little messages … we understand what we’re trying to do so onto the game.”

Aston Villa are celebrating their 150th anniversary tonight. To mark the occasion, various match-day items have been priced at £1.50, including lager, pies, sausage rolls, soft drinks, scarves, beanie hats, caps, the commemorative programme, and the shuttle bus from Birmingham city centre to Villa Park. That’s a lovely touch. The commemorative shirt isn’t priced at £1.50, mind, but let’s not expect the moon on a stick. In any case, that’s not stopped the kit already selling out online, and you can understand why, because it’s delicious: all black, reflecting the club’s first colours before they transitioned to their storied claret and blue, with retro rampant-lion crest, no sponsors, and no names on the back. Happy birthday, Villa!

Black beauties …
Black beauties … Photograph: Aston Villa/Aston Villa FC/Getty Images
… and as for these commemorative scarves, oh man.
… and as for these commemorative scarves, oh man. Photograph: Aston Villa/Aston Villa FC/Getty Images

Aston Villa make three changes to their starting XI after last weekend’s 2-1 Premier League home win over Leicester City. Emiliano Martínez makes way for Robin Olsen in goal. Morgan Rogers and Ian Maatsen step up, while Lucas Digne drops to the bench and captain John McGinn sits this one out injured.

West Ham United also make three changes, after the strange 4-1 defeat at Manchester City that sometimes promised more but ultimately cost Julen Lopetegui his job. Łukasz Fabiański replaces Alphonse Areola in goal. Konstantinos Mavropanos and Oliver Scarles coming in, with Vladimír Coufal benched and Jean-Clair Todibo out injured. The 19-year-old midfielder Scarles, who has appeared a couple of times as a Premier League sub, will make his first start for West Ham.

The teams

Aston Villa: Olsen, Cash, Konsa, Mings, Maatsen, Kamara, Tielemans, Bailey, Barkley, Rogers, Watkins.
Subs: Gauci, Nedeljkovic, Digne, Bogarde, Onana, Ramsey, Jimoh, Buendia, Burrowes.

West Ham United: Fabianski, Wan-Bissaka, Mavropanos, Kilman, Scarles, Soucek, Alvarez, Kudus, Lucas Paqueta, Summerville, Fullkrug.
Subs: Foderingham, Cresswell, Soler, Coufal, Luis Guilherme, Ings, Rodriguez, Irving, Casey.

Referee: Tim Robinson (West Sussex).

Preamble

Two grand old clubs with a proud FA Cup pedigree meet tonight. Aston Villa have won the cup on seven occasions, a record only bettered by six others, while West Ham boast three wins on their resumé, plus a supporting role in one of the competition’s greatest stories, the White Horse Final. All good and well, the only problem being that everything happened such a long time ago. West Ham haven’t won it since 1980, Aston Villa since 1957. Villa have only featured in two subsequent finals, failing to turn up in 2000 then falling apart in 2015; West Ham have only made one more, though to be fair were a last-minute lightning bolt away from victory in 2006. However for both it’s been quite the wait. Who’ll still have hope of ending theirs once we’re done here tonight? Kick-off is at 8pm GMT, and we go to extra time and penalties if necessary. It’s on!

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