Aston Villa are in EFL Cup action on Wednesday night when they host Crystal Palace on home soil.
It’s a difficult tie for Unai Emery’s side because it’s against a fellow Premier League opposition, but not as difficult as Tottenham, who host Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City.
Both clubs crave that much-needed and wanted trophy, but for far too many years, it has alluded them.
Aston Villa’s last trophy success came in 1996 when Brian Little was in charge, whilst Spurs last lifted silverware – also the League Cup – back in 2008.
Amazingly enough, for those in the Midlands, the League Cup, a great chance to win something, is very low down on their pecking order this season.
The simple reason is that Villa are now in the Champions League, so that has taken centre stage because it’s the first time in a long time that the club is competing alongside the elite.
Yet, what’s more important, winning that trophy or getting back into the Champions League?!
Jamie Carragher says ‘most people’ don’t think Aston Villa will win a trophy
One thing is for sure, this is the best chance Villa have of winning silverware because of who owns the club – Nassef Sawiris and Wes Edens – and who is in the dugout.
Added to that, Villa’s squad has just become stronger, so you can flex your muscles across the competitions a lot more.
The likes of Jhon Duran, Ian Maatsen, Ross Barkley, Emi Buendia and Leon Bailey didn’t start Villa’s 1-1 draw against Bournemouth over the weekend,
But Jamie Carragher feels ‘most people’ think that Villa, along with Tottenham, won’t win a trophy, as he told the Overlap.
“You (Luke Aston Villa fan), you didn’t just say trophy, you said trophies when you were talking about Aston Villa and Unai Emery,” said Carragher.
“What (Paul) Scholes just said there about Tottenham before about a manager winning something there. It’s like, you are both really big football clubs, just maybe on the edge of joining the elite. Aston Villa are top of the Champions League group right now.
“But I think if you ask most people, they still don’t believe you will win a trophy and you need a lot more convincing.”
When did Aston Villa last win a trophy?
It has been a long time, far too long, with many semi-finals and final defeats in between. All as painful as each other.
Villa last reached a cup final in 2020 when they were beaten 2-1 by Manchester City in the League Cup final. Dean Smith was in charge on that day.
But the man who was in the dugout the last time the 1982 European Cup winners lifted silverware was club legend Brian Little.
That was the time Villa last won a trophy beating Leeds United 3-0 in the League Cup final at the old Wembley.
The date? 1996. Is Emery the man to change all of that?
