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Carabao Cup: Aston Villa 2 Leicester City 1 (3-2 agg) - Report and pictures

Rarely can a pair of substitutions have worked quite so well.

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With Villa’s Carabao Cup semi-final against Leicester tied at 2-2 on aggregate and looking destined for a penalty shoot-out, Dean Smith introduced the Egyptian connection in Ahmed Elmohamady and Trezeguet and together they conspired to send Villa to Wembley.

Elmohamady crossed for Trezeguet to fire past Kasper Schmeichel deep into stoppage time for a goal which, a short time later, would spark wild scenes of celebration inside Villa Park and the obligatory mass pitch invasion, with Smith and his played mobbed and security required to help some, most notably Tyrone Mings and Orjan Nyland, off the field.

The latter was arguably Villa’s biggest hero of the night, having made three tremendous saves during the first-half.

Matt Targett’s goal, with the Villa’s first attack, then put the home side ahead and for a long time that looked like being the winner until Ikechi Iheanacho, just as he had done in the first leg, levelled the scores on the night and on aggregate with 18 minutes remaining.

A shoot-out looked inevitable until Trezeguet arrived to send Villa to Wembley for the third straight season and their first major final since the 2015 FA Cup.

Leicester will feel hard done by having carved out the better chances in both legs.

But this was still an excellent display by Villa against one of the best teams in the Premier League.

Their route to this stage of the competition might have been straightforward, containing as it did an array of reserve and youth teams in opposition.

This, however, was a fine victory, quite possibly the best of Smith’s managerial reign to date.

Better will be required if they are to surpass their likely opponent, Manchester City, in the final. Yet that is something which can wait until March 1.

With new signing Mbwana Samatta up front, the one surprise in Villa’s line-up perhaps came in goal with a recall for Nyland.

The 29-year-old had admittedly been man-of-the-match during the 1-1 first leg draw at the King Power Stadium, before losing his place following the loan signing of Pepe Reina.

Yet it quickly looked a shrewd decision as Nyland made three big saves in the first 10 minutes to prevent the visitors from snatching an early lead.

The first saw him block at the near post after hesitation from Mings had allowed Iheanacho to outmuscle the Villa defender and get an attempt on goal, albeit from a tight angle.

It was a save Nyland would have been expected to make but the next two, both denying James Maddison, he showed excellent agility.

The Foxes playmaker looked certain to score when, having been teed up by Iheanacho, he sent a shot speeding toward the far corner, only for Nyland to suddenly appear and touch it round the post.

Maddison soon had his hands once more when the Villa keeper repeated the trick, this time diverting a well struck long range effort round the same upright.

Still an opener looked a mere matter of time, with the only surprise being it arrived at the other end of the pitch.

Frederic Guilbert, Villa’s scorer in the first leg, won the ball in his own half and found Luiz, who in turn sent Grealish racing toward the box.

Though the move seemed to have momentarily stalled when Grealish had his back to goal, the home skipper produced a moment of magic to flick the ball into the path of Targett, who drove a low left-footed shot first time into the far bottom corner.

The goal instantly changed the feel of the game and Villa, brimming with confidence, went close again when Anwar El Ghazi sent a free-kick flashing just over the bar.

But Leicester continued to look dangerous and just past the half-hour mark Nyland produced his best save yet to preserve the home side’s advantage.

Tielemans’ drive looked destined for the top corner only for the keeper to tip the ball onto the bar. Villa also had a stroke of fortune when Marvelous Nakamba survived loud claims for handball, which was checked by VAR, in the immediate aftermath.

Grealish pulled a shot wide of the post early in the second period, with Targett also sending an effort close.

Jamie Vardy was introduced 11 minutes after the restart but it was Iheanacho who had the next chance for the visitors, proving Nyland with his most comfortable save of the night when he shot straight at the keeper on the turn.

Yet Villa were sensing a second and it required fine defensive work from Ben Chilwell to deny El Ghazi meeting Grealish’s cross three yards out.

Then came a huge chance for Samatta. The striker appeared to have timed his run to meet Grealish’s centre from the right perfectly but he somehow failed to make contact with the ball six yards out.

Leicester were seeing far less of the ball than in the opening period but with 18 minutes to go they found a way through. Harvey Barnes fought his way into the box and whipped in a cross which Iheanacho, arriving at the far post, turned into the roof of the net.

The visitors pushed forward with renewed vigour after that, Maddison going close again when he lifted a shot over the bar from the edge of the box as Villa, looking weary, struggled to clear their lines.

Smith introduced Trezeguet to give his team extra legs and he was quickly presented with a superb chance by fellow substitute Keinan Davis, only to send his left-footed shot too close to Schmeichel.

Jonny Evans came close to winning it for Leicester when he headed narrowly wide at a corner.

Then, in the third minute of stoppage time, came the moment. Elmohamady advanced down the right and whipped in a cross which Trezeguet, arriving at the far post, fired past Schmeichel to send Villa to Wembley again.

Teams

Villa (3-4-3): Nyland, Konsa, Mings, Hause, Guilbert (Elmohamady 82), Luiz, Nakamba, Targett, El Ghazi (Trezeguet 77), Samatta (Davis 67), Grealish Subs not used: Chester, Hourihane, Lansbury, Sarkic (gk).

Leicester (4-2-3-1): Schmeichel, Pereira, Evans, Soyuncu, Chilwell, Ndidi, Tielemans, Maddison, Perez (Vardy 56), Barnes (Gray 86), Iheanacho Subs not used: Justin, Albrighton, Benkovic, Praet, Ward (gk).