The Riverside Stadium will host Middlesbrough taking on Aston Villa in Round 3 of the English FA Cup. Villa are having a good season in the premier league so far and they will be looking to extend it to the FA Cup. Sit back and relax as we and the AI predicts the winner of this game at the end of 90 minutes.
Middlesbrough Recent form
Boro head coach Michael Carrick, who previously won the FA Cup with Manchester United in the 2015-16 season, is now preparing for two back-to-back knockout matches. This includes a clash with Chelsea in the first leg of the EFL Cup semi-final on January 9. However, Middlesbrough’s upcoming game against Aston Villa may prove to be more challenging for the team, as Villa is currently positioned in mid-table under manager Mauricio Pochettino.
Middlesbrough’s recent performance in the Championship has been disappointing, with two losses in their last three matches. They achieved a 2-1 victory against Huddersfield Town but were unexpectedly defeated 1-0 by Rotherham United on Boxing Day and suffered a humbling loss to Coventry on New Year’s Day. Despite an early goal from Josh Coburn, Tatsuhiro Sakamoto’s two goals and a goal from Haji Wright sealed Middlesbrough’s defeat. Now, Middlesbrough must put their second-tier struggles aside and focus on avoiding another early exit from the FA Cup third round. The team was eliminated by Brighton & Hove Albion at this stage in the 2022-23 campaign and has only advanced past round three once since the 2018-19 season. They were knocked out by Chelsea in the quarter-finals of the 2021-22 FA Cup. Additionally, Middlesbrough has now lost their last five FA Cup third-round matches against Premier League teams.
Aston Villa Recent form
Villa’s title credentials would have been questioned if they had failed to beat Burnley at their home stadium, Villa Park, after their recent disappointing performances against Sheffield United and Manchester United. Against Burnley, Villa initially struggled as the relegation-threatened team managed to equalize the scores. However, in the 89th minute, Douglas Luiz scored a decisive penalty, helping Villa secure a narrow victory. This win temporarily moved them above Arsenal and level on points with leaders Liverpool. However, despite their current position above Arsenal and Manchester City, Villa now have a three-point gap to close in order to catch up with Liverpool, who defeated Newcastle United 4-2 on New Year’s Day.
It remains to be seen if Villa can sustain their unexpected title push as the season progresses. They will also need to improve their performance in the FA Cup, as they have been eliminated from the third round for the past seven seasons. Their previous elimination at the hands of Stevenage in the 2022-23 season was a shock. If Villa fails to win against Riverside this weekend, they will become the first team in history to lose nine consecutive FA Cup games while playing in the top two divisions. However, in their last five encounters with Boro, Villa has managed to secure four wins and a draw, while Boro has failed to score a single goal.
Middlesbrough vs Aston Villa Key Stats
- On 6th January 2024, Middlesbrough and Aston Villa will compete in the FA Cup. The last encounter concluded with Middlesbrough 0 – 1 Aston Villa.
- Over their recent history, these teams have clashed 11 times. Middlesbrough secured victory in 2 matches, while Aston Villa won 5, and 4 ended in a draw.
- Middlesbrough has displayed an average performance in their home games, while Aston Villa’s away form has been relatively average.
- Across their previous matches, Middlesbrough and Aston Villa games have had an average of 1.82 goals, with both teams scoring in 27% of these encounters.
- In this season’s FA Cup, Middlesbrough has averaged 1.2 Points Per Game in their home fixtures, whereas Aston Villa has averaged 1.6 Points Per Game away from home.
AI Predicts Winner of Middlesbrough vs Aston Villa
We gave the stats, recent head-to-head game facts, and current form of both the teams to Natural Language processing AIs (ChatGpt and Bard), and here are the results.
ChatGPT’s prediction
“Considering the historical record and current performance, Aston Villa might win this fixture as they have shown a slightly better away form and a more favorable record against Middlesbrough in previous encounters. The data suggests they might edge it based on their stronger performance away from home in the FA Cup this season.”
Bards’s prediction
“While Middlesbrough historically edges out Aston Villa (2 wins in 11), Aston Villa’s recent victory in their last encounter and slightly better FA Cup away form (1.6 PPG) tip the scales in their favor. Expect a potentially low-scoring affair (average 1.82 goals) with BTTS less likely (27% historically), but Villa’s momentum might give them the edge.”
Our Experts Predict Winner of Middlesbrough vs Aston Villa
Aston Villa has been haunted by the third-round curse for nearly eight years. However, due to Middlesbrough facing staffing difficulties, the Lions should be able to avoid a record they do not desire at the Riverside. Aston Villa’s recent defensive problems might give Carrick’s depleted team a chance for an unexpected victory. Even with some key players being rested, Emery’s team should reach the fourth round, something they haven’t achieved since the 2015-16 season.
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