(Football news) In the Championship, their hosts were most recently defeated 3-1 at home by Coventry City, while the Lions concluded 2023 as they meant to go on with a nerve-wracking 3-2 victory against Burnley. 

Head coach of Middlesbrough, Michael Carrick, was once an FA Cup champion with Manchester United in the 2015–16 campaign. He is getting ready to supervise two consecutive knockout matches from the Boro bench on January 9 when the Championship team faces Chelsea in the first leg of their EFL Cup semi-final.

But with the Blues under Mauricio Pochettino still firmly in mid-table, the weekend’s visit from Villa might be seen as a more difficult task for the Riverside supporters, who have watched their team lose two of its past three games in the second division.

Carrick’s team began 2024 with a humiliating loss to Coventry on New Year’s Day, where an early Josh Coburn goal proved to be in vain. This came just after they triumphed 2-1 away to Huddersfield Town. On Boxing Day, they were surprised 1-0 down to Rotherham United.

In the process of trying to escape another early third-round FA Cup exit, Middlesbrough will now put their second-tier endeavors to the back of their minds. Tatsuhiro Sakamoto’s brace and an effort from Haji Wright denied the 12th-placed hosts the chance to get closer to the coveted playoff line.

The 2022–23 season saw Carrick’s crop lose to Brighton & Hove Albion at this stage. They have only advanced past round three once since the 2018–19 season, losing to Chelsea in the quarterfinals of the 2021–22 FA Cup. Additionally, they have now lost their last five FA Cup third-round matches against Premier League teams.

Following an unexpected draw at home against Sheffield United and a surrender in the second half against Manchester United, who overcame a two-goal deficit to defeat Unai Emery’s team 3-2 at Old Trafford on Boxing Day, the Lions’ title chances would have been seriously questioned if they hadn’t defeated Burnley at their Villa Park headquarters.

Zeki Amdouni and Lyle Foster denied Leon Bailey and Moussa Diaby’s goals in the West Midlands, meaning Vincent Kompany’s relegation scrappers would have to settle for a point. However, with 89 minutes remaining, Douglas Luiz narrowly missed a massive penalty that would have sent the ball over the bar and into the goal.

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