Leon Bailey says Aston Villa are focused on carrying their good form into the FA Cup when they take on Middlesbrough on Saturday.
The first game of 2024 sees Unai Emery’s squad travel to Teesside to play the Championship side.
And Bailey is confident Villa can progress to the fourth round of the competition on the back of their strong showings in the Premier League.
“We’re looking forward to the game; it’s an important game for us,” he said.
“It’s the first game of the year and hopefully we can get the win that we need to move on to the next round.
“We’re only focusing on winning the game.”
Villa have won the FA Cup seven times, making the club the joint fourth most successful team in the competition’s history.
However, Villa have not reached the fourth round since 2016, and Bailey feels it’s time to end that streak.
He said: “This (the FA Cup) is very important for the club and us as players because we haven’t advanced to the next round in quite some time.
“We really want to give it a go and all our thoughts are on the weekend against Middlesbrough.
“We want to play our style of football and hopefully win the game.”
Bailey added: “Cup games are always difficult, it doesn’t matter who we play.
“It’s important for us to maintain our level and show our quality.”
