FA Cup LIVE: News conferences, previews and team news

'We are searching for that consistency'

Aston Villa v Newcastle (Sat, 17:45 GMT)

Newcastle United

Newcastle boss Eddie Howe on how much of a lift the win against Tottenham has given the club: "It's definitely helped the feeling and the mood around the training ground. That is what winning does. It is such an amazing thing, it can change the perspective of everyone. So it was a big win for us but now we have to try and back it up. We are searching for that consistency."

And on how important an FA Cup run would be: "We'd love to have one. We get asked a lot about the cup competitions, our attitude won't change. We will try and win the next game and that is Aston Villa away, a really tough draw. Maybe not the draw we wanted but it's a competition we want to try and do well in. Enjoyed our run last year, disappointed to exit when we did so the aim to go as far as we can."

Different feel for Howe going into this news conference

Aston Villa v Newcastle (Sat, 17:45 GMT)

Ciaran Kelly

BBC Sport Newcastle United reporter

It has only been four days since Eddie Howe’s last pre-match news conference.

But the mood on Tyneside could not be any more different after Newcastle United’s 2-1 win against Tottenham Hotspur on Tuesday night.

Howe said he had “no doubt” he was the right man for the job before his side's crucial victory as the head coach fielded questions about his position following just one win in eight matches.

His players certainly showed they were fighting for him at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium.

The challenge now is for them to continue to do so as they prepare for a trip to Villa Park in the FA Cup.

Newcastle will certainly travel with renewed belief, following a rare away win, as match winner Jacob Ramsey faces Aston Villa for the first time since leaving his boyhood club last summer.

Fellow midfielder Bruno Guimaraes is a big doubt, though, after coming off with a hamstring issue and expect Howe to deliver an injury update on his captain this morning.

Howe coming up

Aston Villa v Newcastle (Sat, 17:45 GMT)

Newcastle United

Newcastle manager Eddie Howe has also been speaking this morning to preview the Magpies' fourth round tie against Aston Villa.

The FA Cup is one of the last chances for silverware for his side after a dip in form over the past few months. They were knocked out of the EFL Cup 5-1 on aggregate in the semi-finals by Manchester City and they are currently 10th in the Premier League. Newcastle are also still in the Champions League, competing in the play-offs against Qarabag.

Newcastle did win their last game in the top-flight, a 2-1 win against Tottenham, but in the previous last five league games they registered one win, one draw and three losses.

We'll bring you full quotes from the Magpies boss's news conference shortly.

'FA Cup, Champions League qualification and Champions League' - Slot on Liverpool's priorities

Liverpool v Brighton (Sat, 20:00 GMT)

Liverpool

A final word from Liverpool manager Arne Slot on his side's busy schedule and priorities for the remainder of the season: "It's not the first time this season that we are having to play three games in seven days. It's part of being a top club, to play a lot of games.

"We have got three priorities - FA Cup, Champions League qualification and the Champions League. But we are also aware of the limited options we have in terms of the squad."

Endo out for 'quite a long time'

Liverpool v Brighton (Sat, 20:00 GMT)

Liverpool

Liverpool manager Arne Slot on the fitness of midfielder Wataru Endo, who was stretchered off with a foot injury in Wednesday's win at Sunderland: "We still need to do some assessments but it's clear and obvious that he will be out for quite a long time."

On how much Liverpool will miss the cover Endo provides at right-back: "Don't forget that he is a good centre-back and a good midfielder as well. If you look at the number six and two centre-back positions, we are quite vulnerable in there as well, if something happens. So let's try to make sure the players we have stay fit now."

'Margins have been so small'

Liverpool v Brighton (Sat, 20:00 GMT)

Liverpool

Liverpool manager Arne Slot on whether their clean sheet against Sunderland provides a blueprint for the future: "Margins have been so small for us this season. Every single time the other team has a bit of a sniff in the game, all of a sudden they score. [Whereas] we need to put so much in it before we are able to score.

"I didn't see that much difference in the last 20 minutes [of Wednesday's 1-0 win at Sunderland] as I saw against City [in Sunday's 2-1 defeat]. The difference was that the first time they arrived after us scoring it was a goal. Before that we were challenging them in their box to score the second. So the margins are really small."

'Impossible to win the league with a set-piece balance like ours'

Liverpool v Brighton (Sat, 20:00 GMT)

Liverpool

Liverpool manager Arne Slot on whether this season's Premier League has made him change his thinking about set pieces: "My first thought in my head was no because I have always said it is almost impossible to win a game of football with a negative set-piece balance. In the Premier League, every game is now a big game because of the strength of the league, but looking at where the league has gone to I should maybe not say no, I should say yes because I cannot stop talking about the importance of set pieces. It's every single day.

"You asked me in the past what the difference is between our performances in the Champions League and Premier League and the most simple answer is set pieces because in the Champions League we are top in set pieces and in the Premier League we are completely bottom. That reflects in the league table as well.

"The current Premier League is so, so, so much more about set pieces than it was last season. Even though I already found it very important, it has now gone through the roof in terms of how important it is.

"It is actually impossible to win the league if you have a set-piece balance like ours. You have to have plus five, six, seven, eight, nine, 10, no matter what you do in open play, to have a chance to win the league."

'Van Dijk a big threat in the air offensively and defensively'

Liverpool v Brighton (Sat, 20:00 GMT)

Liverpool

More from Liverpool manager Arne Slot on Virgil van Dijk and how important the Reds skipper is for set-pieces: "I would almost say that in the current Premier League it is the only attribute you should have - doing set pieces well.

"Yesterday I again watched a game in which set-pieces were almost part of everything that happened during the game.

"It's vital that he has already scored a few goals for us this season and definitely last season as well from set pieces. He's a big threat in the air offensively and defensively he's important for us not to concede. So yes, [he's] vital and I hope he will score many more for us in set pieces this season."

'Van Dijk leads by example on and off the pitch'

Liverpool v Brighton (Sat, 20:00 GMT)

Liverpool

Liverpool manager Arne Slot on the importance of Virgil van Dijk staying fit to lead the team: "He's been fit every single time and I have said this before how big of an accomplishment that is for a player of his age because he is not the youngest any more. He plays every three days, but that is not a coincidence because if I look how much work he puts in on a daily basis to recover to be ready for the next [game] immediately.

"It is always harder to stay fit in a team that has had so many setbacks, so it tells you a lot about what he does off the pitch in recovery but definitely also about his mental strength that he is able to stay with the team and bring in very good performances while leading the team on and off the pitch by example."

Slot on 'finding the right balance' between youth & experience

Liverpool v Brighton (Sat, 20:00 GMT)

Liverpool

Liverpool manager Arne Slot on whether he is looking at any youth players: "I am always looking at them because today they trained again, all of them. But seriously, a few of them come closer and closer to first-team football and a few of them already had it with Rio [Ngumoah] and Trey [Nyoni].

"Games like this could be an option for them as well but it's finding the right balance because we do play a very strong team in Brighton. Finding the right balance in who to play is something we are going to think about even more."

Slot on squad rotation

Liverpool v Brighton (Sat, 20:00 GMT)

Liverpool

Liverpool manager Arne Slot started with a question on squad rotation: "The load management is important because the last thing we could use right now is another injury.

"That is always the difficult balance for the manager, including his medical staff, what is the best decision to make every single time. It is also true that a player could get injured if he has to play three games in seven days. But it also happened many times that a player could play three games in seven days.

"So that's the challenge we are having, but the most important thing is we have to train today, see how the players are doing, listen to how they feel and then make the best possible decision."

Click here to read article