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!!!
So much has happened since my last match report. Steve Bruce and his coaching team have emptied their lockers. In their place Dean Smith has been appointed as Head Coach, John Terry and Richard O'Kelly as assistant coaches, and Jesus Garcia Pitarch as Sporting Director.
In celebration I throw caution to the wind and lash out on a bumper set of M&S specials. Today sees me clad in my new 'lucky pants'. Surely, nothing can go wrong.
There is an air of anticipation at Villa Park, despite the fact that sadly it is a place all too familiar with false dawns. Dean has been in charge for barely more than a week, during which time many key players have been away on international duty. Can he turn things around? Is there still a possibility of promotion after last season's Play Off Finals heartbreak?
As a further portentous nod to ushering out the old and ushering in the new, the match against Swansea City is prefaced by a minutes' standing ovation for the late Doug Ellis, the controversial former owner of the Villa, who died earlier in the week. The nearside touchline is populated by the great and good paying their respects. Bizarrely, the assembled dignitaries obscure the view from the Doug Ellis Stand as Dean emerges to rapturous applause from the crowd.
And so to football. The first thirty minutes is very promising. Villa press high and hard, constantly forcing Swansea onto the back-foot and harrying their midfield. The reward comes just eight minutes in when Tammy Abraham heads home a delightfully weighted cross from Ahmed Elmohamady.
The second half starts with more of the same, but sadly Abraham fails to convert two further decent chances. Swansea start to come back into the game as Villa begin to tire, but some superb saves from the much maligned Orjan Nyland and a last-minute block by Neil Taylor see us through to only our fourth victory of the season.
At times it's not pretty and mistakes are made. That said, I much prefer to watch a team that takes risks and learns from mistakes than a team frightened to get things wrong. No-one in a Villa strip had a stinker today, and at least three players put on excellent performances. Abraham looks classy and his hold-up play, especially in the first half, is magnificent. Nyland keeps us in the game and keeps his first clean sheet. And the irrepressible John McGinn makes mince-meat of the oppostion.
All in all, a good day - and the 'lucky pants' will most definitely be donned again!
