ASTON Villa defender Alan Hutton has played down talk of Cherries being favourites to win Sunday’s FA Cup fourth-round clash at Villa Park.

The Premier League outfit host Cherries on the back of having scored just one goal in their past six games – Christian Benteke’s late winner in the last round against Blackpool.

Cherries, meanwhile, have netted 73 times in 33 games in all competitions and boast the best goalscoring record in all four divisions having hit 57 in 27 matches in the Championship.

And while Hutton says Villa will respect Eddie Howe’s team and acknowledges they are having a fine season, he also insists they have plenty of fire-power.

He told the Birmingham Mail: “We’re really up for it and want to go far. No matter who we come up against, we know it’s going to be a tough game.

“Bournemouth are flying and are scoring lots of goals and I would expect them to come out and try to give us a game. As for them being favourites, I don’t think so. If anything, they are the ones who will have to come out and beat us.”

Villa have a poor record against lower-league opposition under boss Paul Lambert and were knocked out of this season’s League Cup by Leyton Orient.

And they exited the FA Cup after suffering a 2-1 home defeat at the hands of Sheffield United last season.

Benteke’s 88th-minute strike helped them edge past Championship strugglers Blackpool three weeks ago with Villa having drawn blanks against Leicester and Liverpool in their past two games in the Premier League.

Hutton added: “Sunday will be different to the Blackpool game. They sat and tried to hit us on the break but Bournemouth will come at us.

“We know it will be a tough game but, if we perform the way we know we can then, hopefully, we will get through. We will go out and give our all.”

Villa boss Lambert was among the crowd at Elland Road on Tuesday to see Cherries lose 1-0 to Leeds.