Villa survive an early onslaught to hit a spectacular late winner and qualify for their ninth League Cup final.

On the opposition We don’t normally do this but it is worth mentioning the attitude of the opposition supporters this evening. No-one could deny that Leicester have had and are having the most successful period in their history. Whilst no-one in the vicinity of Villa will be overjoyed at that it is perfectly clear that our recent fall has coincided with Leicester’s unlikely rise. 

A League title, a European Cup run and an FA Cup is simply unheard of for the East Midlanders. It is fantasy territory and really should be enjoyed as such. That’s why we advise Leicester’s fans, from somewhat bitter experience, to enjoy it whilst it lasts because, quite simply, it will not last forever, if even for much longer. 

The sheer nonsense that exudes from Leicester fans towards Villa is as bizarre as it is unworthy of both clubs, but particularly ours. Villa are unlikely to beat Manchester City in the final, just because that’s the way football now is, ironically it was that very fact that made Leicester’s title win so celebrated. 

Villa might currently be seen as yesterday’s men, quite possibly we are, but our period of success certainly outranks the likes of Leicester and yet we still miss those times badly. 

Leicester, and their fans, need to bathe in their current status, because be in no doubt, a semi final appearance will be something they can only dream of once again in a short few seasons. Something we know by bitter experience. 

Postscript: *Leicester would be relegated at the end of the 2022-23 season.

Villa qualify for their 9th League Cup Final and become the first professional club in English football history to contest a major final in 14 separate decades. 

Centre forward Mbwana Ally Samatta made his Villa debut aged 27 after joining from KRC Genk for a fee of £10,530,000 on 20 January 2020. Samatta becomes the 944th player to play for Villa in first team League or Cup football.

Anwar El Ghazi secures his 25th win for the club on his 62nd appearance (53 Starts) to make it W25 D16 L21, 12 Goals, 12 Assists, 9 Bookings and 1 Red Card so far in his Villa career.

Trézéguet secures his 10th win in a Villa shirt on his 27th appearance (17 Starts) to make it W10 D4 L13, 4 Goals, 2 Assists, 4 Bookings and 1 Red Card so far in his Villa career.

Cup finalists Villa embarrass themselves in a poor performance at the Vitality.

Jack Grealish makes his 125th start in a Villa shirt (172 Appearances) to make it W68 D35 L69, 24 Goals, 27 Assists, 27 Bookings and 2 Red Cards so far in his Villa career.

Mbwana Samatta becomes the first Tanzanian to feature in the Premier League, with Tanzania the 117th different nation to be represented in the competition.

Samatta is the first player to score on his league debut (2nd Appearance) for Villa since Rudy Gestede netted in August 2015, also against Bournemouth. 

Villa score their first headed goal of the season and their first headed goal in the Premier League since Ciaran Clark netted against Watford in April 2016. 

Villa remain the only side in the Premier League this season yet to register an away clean sheets. 

Jack Grealish has been fouled 111 times in the Premier League this season, the only player to hit triple-figures in the competition in 2019-20.

Tyrone Mings receives his 10th booking (and one sending off) in 41 games for the club.

Villa recover from their poor showing last time out to take the game to Tottenham but see their luck desert them as a late mistake loses the game and effectively ends a career.

VAR and a slip by the recalled Björn Engels contribute to plunge luckless Villa to defeat. 

Björn Engels scores his only goal in a Villa shirt on his 17th appearance (15 Starts) to make it W3 D2 L12, 1 Goal and 1 Booking so far in his Villa career.

Centre forward Borja Bastón makes his Villa debut aged 27 after joining from Swansea City on a free transfer in January 2020 to become the 945th player to play for Villa in first team League or Cup football.

Midfielder Danny Drinkwater makes his fourth and final appearance for Villa before returning to parent club Chelsea. 

Frédéric Guilbert collects his fifth booking on his 24th appearance for the club (21 Starts) to make it W8 D5 L11, 2 Goals, 2 Assists and 5 Bookings so far in his Villa career.

Marvelous Nakamba collects his fifth booking on his 23rd appearance for the club (20 Starts) to make it W7 D4 L12, 0 Goals, 0 Assists and 5 Bookings so far in his Villa career.

Villa follow up unlucky with awful as another woeful performance sees them beaten,

Villa lose a third successive league game to leave them teetering on the edge of the relegation zone. 

Centre forward Borja Bastón makes his second and final appearance for Villa as an 81’ substitute.

Frédéric Guilbert makes his 25th appearance for Villa (22 Starts) to make it W8 D5 L12, 2 Goals, 2 Assists and 6 Bookings so far in his Villa career.

Villa go into the EFL Cup final as underdogs but take the game to City only to be undone by more generous officiating.

A team with the talent and resources of Manchester City hardly need the help yet it keeps on coming. 

To Villa's credit they made the game significantly more competitive than it was intended to be but a sixth League Cup triumph wasn't to be.

Villa appear in their 9th League Cup Final. 

Villa finish runners up in the League Cup for the fourth time.

Jack Grealish makes his 175th appearance in a Villa shirt (128 Starts) to make it W68 D35 L72, 24 Goals, 28 Assists, 28 Bookings and 2 Red Cards so far in his Villa career.

Anwar El Ghazi contributes his 25th goal involvement on his 66th appearance (57 Starts) to make it W25 D16 L25, 12 Goals, 13 Assists, 9 Bookings and 1 Red Card so far in his Villa career.

Marvelous Nakamba makes his 25th appearance for the club (22nd Start) to make it W7 D4 L14, 0 Goals, 0 Assists and 6 Bookings so far in his Villa career.

Off the pitch Villa record a £69m loss in their accounts for 2018-19 following the acquisition of the club by NWSE despite the sale of Villa park to a related business for £56.7m.

Villa's concerning form continues as they throw the game away at the King Power after arguably their ninth poor performance in their last seventeen Premier League games as the season is suspended due to the Covid-19 pandemic. 

As Villa capitulate at Leicester, leaving them looking odds on for relegation languishing in 19th place, it is revealed that club legend and one of the greatest people in Villa's history, Gordon Sid Cowans, announced earlier in the day that he was suffering from the early stages of Alzheimer's disease. 

Villa had now failed to keep a clean sheet in their last 22 away games in the Premier League. 

Villa had now lost five consecutive games in all competitions for the first time since February 2017.

Björn Engels makes his 19th and final appearance for Villa (17 Starts) and after a challenging spell with the club leaves with a record of W3 D2 L14, 1 Goal and 1 Booking. Engels would however remain throughout the following 2020-21 season but would not appear for Villa again.

Pepe Reina concedes his 10th goal in a Villa shirt on his 6th appearance to make it W1 D1 L4, 13 Goals Conceded and 0 Clean Sheets so far in his Villa career.

Conor Hourihane collects his 25th booking in a Villa shirt on his 136th appearance (111 Starts).

10 days after the game the tragic news breaks that former Villa winger Peter Whittingham has died aged just 35, Whittingham had played for Villa from 2003 to 2006 making 66 appearances and scoring twice.

Meanwhile, Danny Drinkwater, an abject failure of a signing, is sent home from training after an alleged headbutt on Jota at Bodymoor Heath. Drinkwater, who made 4 appearances with a record of W1 D1 L2, 0 Goals, 0 Assists and 2 Bookings would never play for Villa again.

Villa return to action after a three month hiatus and secure a point after benefitting from a technology failure.

2019-20 is now the longest season in English football eclipsing the previous record of the 1946-47 season that was played until 7 June 1947.

Dean Smith takes charge of Villa for the 75th game and makes it W31 D16 L28 at a win rate of 41.33% and a loss rate of 37.33% delivering 1.45 points per game so far in his Villa management career.

Douglas Luiz makes his 25th start in a Villa shirt (33 Appearances) to make it W11 D5 L17, 3 Goals, 2 Assists, 6 Bookings so far in his Villa career.

Matt Targett makes his 25th appearance for Villa to make it W8 D4 L13, 2 Goals, 2 Assists and 3 Bookings so far in his Villa career.

Villa lose for the fifth time in six League games.

Kortney Hause’s goal meant he had now scored in each of the top four divisions in English football, with today just his seventh league goal. 

Ørjan Nyland concedes his 50th goal for Villa on his 33rd appearance (31 Starts) to make it W11 D11 L11, 51 Goals Conceded and 8 Clean Sheets so far in his Villa career.

Villa draw for the second time in three games but it isn't enough to kick start sufficient momentum needed to avoid relegation.

Villa’s secure their first away point since January.

John McGinn makes his 65th start in a Villa shirt (67 Appearances) to make it W25 D20 L22, 10 Goals, 10 Assists and 17 Bookings so far in his Villa career.

Ahead of games against Liverpool and Manchester United, Villa fall at home to Wolves to leave them dangerously out of form and looking odds on for immediate relegation back to the Championship.

Ezri Konsa makes his 25th appearance for Villa (24 Starts) to make it W10 D5 L10, 1 Goal, 2 Assists, 5 Bookings so far in his Villa career.

Mbwana Ally Samatta makes his 10th appearance for Villa (8 Starts) to make it W1 D7 L7 and 2 Goals so far in his Villa career.

Villa can't repeat their heroics against Liverpool at Villa Park but the result is the same, defeat.

Pepe Reina concedes his 15th goal in a Villa shirt on his 7th appearance to make it W1 D1 L5, 15 Goals Conceded and 0 Clean Sheets so far in his Villa career since his arrival on loan to the end of the season from AC Milan.

More refereeing controversy helps United to a win at Villa Park and leaves Villa odds on for relegation with eight defeats in ten.

Set on its way by a questionable penalty, another questionable performance from referee Jonathan Moss and another lost opportunity for Villa as they fall back to 19th in the table, second from bottom, with four games to play.

Dean Smith’s loss rate reaches 40.00% for the first time since promotion to the Premier League and after 80 games in charge of Villa had a record of W31 D17 L32 at a win rate of 38.75% delivering 1.38 points per game so far in his Villa management career.

Tyrone Mings makes his 50th appearance for the club (all starts) with a record of W18, D11, L21, 4 Goals, 1 Assist, 12 Bookings and 1 Red Card so far in his Villa career.

Indiana Vassliev makes the last of his six substitute appearances in a Villa shirt to leave a record of W1 D2 L3.

From nowhere Villa put in a proper performance and spring to victory at Villa Park to give a sliver of hope for safety.

Villa score two goals in a league game for the first time since January 

Villa keep their first clean sheet in the league since the opening day of the restart on 17 June.

Trézéguet scores his 5th goal in a Villa shirt on his 38th appearance (21 Starts) to make it W11 D6 L21, 6 Goals, 2 Assists, 4 Bookings and 1 Red Card so far in his Villa career.

Pepe Reina keeps his first clean sheet in a Villa shirt on his 9th appearance to make it W2 D1 L6, 18 Goals Conceded and 1 Clean Sheet so far in his Villa career.

Villa go to Goodison and should leave with the win but a late miss precipitates an even later equaliser and Villa's relegation is called by all and sundry.

Ezri Konsa gives Villa the lead with a vital goal at Goodison Park before Anwar El Ghazi misses a sitter to put the game to bed and collect a second consecutive three points for relegation threatened Villa. Everton equalise with 3 minutes remaining on the clock and Villa tumble back to 19th. Fine margins. 

Right back Kaine Kesler Hayden makes his first appearance in the Villa squad at the age of 17.

Anwar El Ghazi makes his 75th appearance for Villa (62 Starts) to make it W26 D19 L30, 12 Goals, 13 Assists, 9 Bookings and 1 Red Card so far in his Villa career.

Ahmed Elmohamady collects his 5th bookiing in a Villa shirt on his 110th appearance (89 Starts).

Villa refuse to die as another inspired battling performance sees them record a second win in three unbeaten games and suddenly Villa only need to better other people's results on the final day.

Matt Targett secures his 10th win in a Villa shirt on his 31st appearance (30 Starts) to make it W10 D6 L15, 2 Goals, 2 Assists and 4 Bookings so far in his Villa career.

Henri Lansbury makes his 50th appearance for Villa (18 Starts) to make it W18 D10 L22, 2 Goal, 8 Assists, 7 Bookings and 1 Red Card so far in his Villa career.

Villa’s win over Arsenal at Villa Park was their first in a Premier League game since December 1998 under John Gregory, ending a run of 17 home games without a win against the Gunners. 

This was the first Premier League game that Villa haven’t faced any shots on target for the first time since January 2016 versus West Bromwich Albion at the Hawthorns. 

Future Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez lined up for Arsenal.

Twists and turns aplenty but Villa never drop back into the relegation zone on an unpredictable afternoon and survive in the Premier League despite their winner being cancelled out by a hugely unlucky and hugely deflected shot. 

The final game in the longest season in English league history - and also the most bizarre. 

The woeful Video Assistant Referee, the mid season suspension for 100 days and the resumption of games behind closed doors saw this most strange and taxing of seasons face its reckoning today. 

To add to the intrigue Villa found themselves in a three way fight for Premier League safety and whilst Villa had put their destiny in their own hands being unbeaten in 3, winning 2 - the permutations, twists and turns and spectre of VAR remained. 

On this final day:

Villa face a resurgent West Ham, 

Bournemouth are away to a woeful Everton 

Whilst Watford whose season has come off the rails both on and off the pitch are away to Arsenal. 

Villa simply need to better the results of Watford and Bournemouth to guarantee another season in the Premier League. 

16.52 

HT Arsenal 3-1 Watford 

HT Everton 1-2 AFC Bournemouth 

HT West Ham United 0-0 Aston Villa 

A West Ham goal would see Villa fall into the relegation places.

17.27 

Watford pull a goal back at Arsenal 2-3 

17.33 

Former Villa striker Dion Dublin “Villa are looking the worst of the teams in danger of going down” 

17.39 

Bournemouth extend their lead at Everton 1-3 

Villa remain goal-less and a concession would guarantee relegation 

17.44 

Jack Grealish scores for Villa - his first goal since the resumption of the Premier League - with 6 minutes of the season left. 

17.46 

West Ham United equalise 

BBC Sport “Straight from the restart West Ham are level! Andriy Yarmolenko has a shot from a long, long way out, it takes a massive deflection off of Jack Grealish and loops up. Pepe Reina is slow to get back, he can’t get there and it loops in!” 

17.46 

Former Villa striker Chris Sutton “Heart attack stuff for Dean Smith, Villa thought they had done enough with the Grealish goal. Pepe Reina is so slow, the deflection came off Grealish but Reina has to do so much better than that. That’s the first real shot on target for West Ham, Reina has to do so much better than that.” 

17.51 

FOUR minutes added on. 

17.55 

FT West Ham United 1-1 Aston Villa 

FT Arsenal 3-2 Watford 

FT Everton 1-3 AFC Bournemouth 

Bournemouth and Watford Relegated.

Mbwana Ally Samatta makes his 16th and final appearance for Villa (13 Starts) to make it W3 D4 L9, 2 Goals and 1 Booking.

Pepe Reina makes his 12th and final appearance in a Villa shirt to leave with a record of W3 D3 L6, 10 Goals Conceded and 2 Clean Sheets.

Jack Grealish scores his 25th goal for Villa on his 186th appearance (139 Starts) to make it W70 D39 L77, 25 Goals, 28 Assists, 29 Bookings and 2 Red Cards so far in his Villa career.