So then, just who exactly will face Manchester City in the Carabao Cup final this year? On a chilly, wet and fervent east Midlands night came a semi-final first leg that proved much more even and intriguingly poised than the one that came before it. If what took place at Old Trafford was a procession bordering on a humiliation, this encounter at the King Power was a genuine contest, and while Leicester remain favourites to reach Wembley, Aston Villa can take great heart from how they performed and will believe they can make the return fixture on their own patch one to remember.
Dean Smith certainly believes Villa remain alive in this tie, speaking afterwards of how his players can “take a lot of confidence and belief” from their display against a side that, it should be remembered, beat them 4-1 a month ago. Villa were ripped apart that day and while there were moments here when they looked incredibly vulnerable, especially during the second half as Leicester performed with renewed pace and intent in pursuit of a goal to cancel out Frédéric Guilbert’s first-half strike, the men in claret and blue stood firm. Their back three of Ezri Konsa, Tyrone Mings and Kortney Hause were especially good while in goal Orjan Nyland made a number of crucial saves before finding himself helpless to keep out Kelechi Iheanacho’s powerfully-hit equaliser on 74 minutes.
Nyland was making his second appearance in succession and more will follow for the Norwegian given he now finds himself as Villa’s first-choice goalkeeper following the anterior cruciate ligament injury sustained by Tom Heaton in the New Year’s Day victory over Burnley and which has ruled out the 33-year-old for the rest of the season. Wesley, the club’s £22m record signing, is out for the same amount of time having sustained the same injury in the same game, and that, combined with the pre-match illness picked up by Jonathan Kodjia here led to Villa lining up without a recognised striker.
Anwar El Ghazi was forced into operating as a false No 9 and in doing the job diligently, which included delivering the cross that led to Guilbert’s goal, he symbolised the noble effort to the cause delivered by a weakened, patched-up side. Little wonder Smith was so proud of his team, with the manager’s only complaint being the “farcical” nature with which they conceded given it resulted from Konsa and Douglas Luiz making a mess between them of what should have been a straightforward free-kick for Villa.
For all those concerned with Smith’s side, the hope will be that this performance had not only presented them with a decent chance of reaching a first major final in five years but also fuelled the players with the belief that they can escape relegation trouble. They currently sit 17th, a point clear of danger, and with a game against City next up. The outlook is not great and has come about from what has been a chastening return to the top flight for a grand old name of English football. Way too many goals conceded, not enough scored – a toxic combination that appeared to be overwhelming Villa as they went on a run of four successive league defeats prior to Christmas. But since then there have been wins against Norwich and Burnley, and now this; a draw away to the second best team in the country. Villa may be lacking players but they are not lacking in an upturn.
Absolutely crucial to Villa’s survival hopes is Jack Grealish. The 24-year-old has been the team’s outstanding performer this season and yet again he delivered a display here full of poise and panache. There were no particularly eye-catching moments, and he may ultimately have come second to James Maddison in the battle of the best young English creative talent on display in front of the watching Gareth Southgate, but there was still much to enjoy and, from a Villa point of view, appreciate.
Stationed in his usual advanced left position, Grealish did his bit defensively and helped relieve the pressure on the visitors by carrying the ball in his trademark manner; loose and easy yet full of purpose. Indeed it was from one such run that Villa took the lead, as Grealish manoeuvred down the right, switched play and watched on as El Ghazi and Guilbert combined to devastating effect.
“It was a great, mature performance,” said Smith of his No 10. “He carried the ball so well and when we were rushed he was the one that showed composure. That is what Jack brings to us – he’s a top player.”
Of that there is no doubt and it could well be Grealish who ultimately makes the difference when these sides meet again in three weeks’ time. As Brendan Rodgers said, this tie is “perfectly set-up”, and for Villa during a season of great strain and difficulty there remains the very real prospect of a ninth League Cup final appearance. Game on.
