Aston Villa’s appointment of Tim Sherwood was largely met with ridicule. The gilet-slinging buffoon’s classic brand of English tactical suicide was seen as sure to backfire for a team struggling near the bottom of the Premier League table. As it is, he’s somehow managed to make a reasonable start at Villa Park; his 1-0 away at former stomping ground Tottenham Hotspur last weekend seeing Villa move six points clear of the bottom three. Now, he can lead them to an FA Cup final, too.
Aston Villa vs. Liverpool, 2015 FA Cup: Time, TV schedule and team news
Aston Villa will look to reach their first FA Cup final since 2000 by beating Liverpool on Sunday.
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Standing in the path of Villa and their almighty Sherwood is Liverpool, a side whose inconsistency has undermined them at home and abroad. Dumped out of the Champions League at the first hurdle (and the title race not much later), it has been a pretty disappointing season for the Reds. Now, the FA Cup represents their only chance of silverware this season, and the only way they can send departing captain Steven Gerrard out in style. Surely, surely they won’t let this slip ...
Key player - Ron Vlaar (Aston Villa)
Aston Villa centre-back Ron Vlaar will have to be at his very best in this game, as the Villans go up against one of the Premier League's most mobile attacks. With Daniel Sturridge unlikely to start, Raheem Sterling will probably be named Liverpool's nominal centre-forward. Given Sterling's pace and trickery, Vlaar will have to be excellent in one-on-one battles.
Key matchup - Christian Benteke vs. the Liverpool defence
If Villa are going to have any attacking joy, it’s likely to come through Christian Benteke. The Belgian striker hasn’t had his most prolific campaign, but has scored in double figures in the Premier League for the third consecutive season. Strong in the air and on the ground, he’s sure to make life difficult for Liverpool’s occasionally shaky back line.
Aston Villa injuries and suspensions
Out: Ciaran Clark, Chris Herd (knee), Libor Kozák (broken leg), Carlos Sánchez (suspended). In doubt: Gabby Agbonlahor, Carles Gil, Scott Sinclair, Ashley Westwood (hamstring), Alan Hutton (ankle), Aly Cissokho (groin), Philippe Senderos (calf)
Liverpool injuries and suspensions
Out: Mamadou Sakho (hamstring), Jordon Ibe (cup-tied). In doubt: Daniel Sturridge (hip), Jon Flanagan (knee), Mario Balotelli (illness), Adam Lallana (groin).
Villa have a huge injury list heading into this match, while midfield anchorman and first-team regular Carlos Sánchez wil certainly miss out through suspension. They’ll be hoping a string of other important players recover from their myriad problems in time to play. Liverpool’s only certain absentees are Mamadou Sakho and Jordon Ibe, though they’ll likely be joined on the sidelines by Jon Flanagan and Adam Lallana. Strikers Daniel Sturridge and Mario Balotelli are expected to be involved.
Match Date/Time: Sunday, 3 p.m. local, 10 a.m. ET
Venue: Wembley, London, England
TV: Fox Sports 1 (U.S. - English), Fox Deportes (U.S. - Spanish), Sportsnet World (Canada), BT Sport 1 (U.K.)
Online: Fox Soccer 2Go, Fox Sports GO (U.S.), Sportsnet World Now (Canada), BT Sport 1 (U.K.)
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