aston villa 2 v 1 leicester

Wow, is this really happening?!!!

It's a cold, damp Tuesday evening at Villa Park.  What better way to celebrate my birthday than to watch the plucky boys in claret and blue succumb to yet another kicking at the feet of Leicester City.  Just few weeks ago they tore us to shreds in the Premier League and now we face them again in the semi-final of the Carabao Cup.

Coming into the match, honours are even. A creditable one-all draw at the King Power Stadium sees the tie finely balanced.

Leicester are off to a flying start, yet second-string keeper, Orjan Nyland, pulls off a string of astounding saves to keep us in the game. Cue Captain Jack Grealish, who gets on the end of a pass from Douglas Luiz and casually flicks the ball to a marauding Matt Targett. He makes no mistake and it's one nil to Villa.

Villa resist mounting pressure for the rest of the first-half and the start of the second until Harvey Barnes bursts past Frédéric Guilbert on the left-hand side of the box. He sends the ball across the face of goal and Kelechi Iheanacho arrives at the back post to flick it into the net. It's one all and everything to play for.

As the game-clock ticks down the prospect of a shoot-out penalty competition beckons, but Villa aren't done yet.  Our two Egyptian players, Ahmed Elmohamady and Trezeguet, link up for a fine second goal which leaves the Leicester City defence in tatters and their supporters in tears.

It's ASTON VILLA ... and onward to the final!!!

aston villa 2 v 1 wolverhampton wanderers

It's a brisk Autumn evening at Villa Park. We're here for a mid-week game in the Carabao Cup, a trophy we've won five times in the past in its former guise as the League Cup.

The opposition are Wolverhampton Wanderers. Under Portugese coach, Nuno Espírito Santo, they enjoyed a fantastic first season back in the Premiership last year. Deservedly, they secured a place in the Europa League.  This has, however, stretched their small squad rather thinly - they've already played some twenty games to date in their current campaign.  Accordingly, it comes as a little surprise when Nuno puts out a team comprised almost entirely of youngsters and fringe players.

Whilst Villa see out the game comfortably with goals from our two Egyptians, Anwar El Ghazi and Ahmed Elmohamady it was hardly a classic of modern-day football. Still, the win secures a place in the quarter finals and a match-up with Liverpool some time in the new year.

 

we're going up! - part 2: the opening goal

Villa start well with lots of promising attacks all of which sadly come to nothing.  Opportunities are missed, shots go wide and crosses fail to find an attacker.

As half-time approaches it looks as if Villa will be frustrated but then Conor Hourihane lofts a lovely pass to Albert Adomah on the right. Adomah passes back to Ahmed Elmohamady who curls a lovely cross into the penalty area. And there's Anwar El Ghazi on hand to put the ball in the back of the net.

One nil, and the half-time whistle blows!