Unai Emery, the Aston Villa manager, expressed skepticism regarding his team's chances in the FA Cup, highlighting that stronger teams remain in the competition compared to Villa. Meanwhile, Cardiff's Omer Riza noted the challenge of balancing Cup ambitions with their Championship survival, admitting he prefers fielding a strong side but cannot prioritize the Cup over league games. This leads to both managers expressing frustration over their squads' limitations, setting up a match where neither team is fully committed to the competition. Despite this, Villa remains in a potentially advantageous position in the Cup.
"We are not a contender in the FA Cup to win the title, said Villa boss Unai Emery ahead of this game. We are not contenders."
"I'd like to put my strongest team out so you can have a real go at it...we have just got too many far more important games coming up."
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