Eventual FA Cup draw for Aston Villa shouldn't matter | OneFootball

Regardless of who is left in the FA Cup or how the draw falls, Aston Villa should feel confident in winning the trophy this year. Although a lot is made of who is left, worrying about a potential semi-final or eventual final matchup will be far from the mind of Unai Emery.

There is a good Crystal Palace team still in the competition. Regardless, AVFC should feel that they can win any remaining fixtures against either them, Manchester City, or Nottingham Forest, for example. Certain opponents would naturally be better for Villa than others.

That being said, Emery would feel confident against any of the remaining sides. Every year sees a different path for clubs to the latter stages. Ultimately, good competition will be faced eventually, and hoping to avoid certain teams is often shortsighted.

AVFC needs to and is getting closer to being able to compete with anyone and anywhere. That is the sign of a good club. Being able to compete under any circumstances, regardless of where they land across the leagues or the English Premier League table position, is important moving forward.

Long run of success at Aston Villa is the standard

Under the Spaniard, Villa appears to be on the clear right track to being able to annually compete, or at least be legitimately in contention for trophies. Acknowledging truth, Preston North End turned out to be a favorable draw, and winning by a couple of goals within 90 minutes should be a reasonable expectation.

At the same time, even other fan bases are recognizing and almost admiring the current foundation at the club. It's understandable to wish for the top sides to be avoided, but in order to truly cement status as a top European side, the Villans will need to be able to approach any game with the ingrained confidence of a winning side.

Aston Villa will need to cap off this season with silverware, and the FA Cup is the best route for that to happen. Under Emery, however, these types of campaigns will be seen with increased regularity, and the gap between the likes of Arsenal and Liverpool is shrinking.