PAUL HECKINGBOTTOM’S side are once again competing against the country’s very best.
Preston North End’s commendable FA Cup run will see them play Aston Villa in the quarter-finals at Deepdale TODAY.
After Preston’s Championship campaign began with Ryan Lowe being sacked after ONE MATCH, Heckingbottom took over as manager in late August.
It was his first job after guiding Sheffield United to promotion in the Premier League two seasons ago and then being sacked by the Blades.
The Lilywhites are now relatively comfortable in 14th and are a victory away from a first Wembley semi-final in 61 YEARS.
Preston have beat Charlton, Wycombe and Burnley to get to this stage.
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Villa, meanwhile, remain in the running to make return to next season’s Champions League – they currently sit ninth in the Premier League but are just four points off Chelsea in fourth.
Unai Emery’s team also have a mouthwatering Champions League quarter-final matchup with Paris Saint-Germain next week.
Even though they haven’t left Villa Park until this round, their FA Cup run has been rather good.
In the fifth round, Villa eased past Cardiff City 2-0 after defeating West Ham and Spurs in previous rounds.
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How to watch FA Cup quarter-final today for FREE
- Preston and Aston Villa last-eight clash will be broadcast live on BBC One in the UK for FREE.
- Fans will also have the option to stream all entire action BBC iPlayer – it is available to download via any compatible mobile device or tablet but viewers need an account
- Alternatively, tune into SunSport’s comprehensive live blog for all the action as it happens.
- Kick-off for the match is scheduled to get underway at 1.30pm GMT on Sunday, March 30.
What other FA Cup games are happening on the weekend?
- Fulham vs Crystal Palace
- Brighton vs Nottingham Forest
- Bournemouth vs Manchester City
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk