This fixture was inevitably billed as the battle between two great talents in Grealish and Leicester City's James Maddison, who was compared in colourful, unfavourable terms throughout by the Villa loyalists on the Holte End. Praise of Grealish must not be misconstrued as criticism of Maddison, who could have scored twice in the first half only to be thwarted by Villa goalkeeper Orland Nyland's heroics. The feel of this night - the drama, the celebrations, the anticipation of the big day at Wembley - sum up Aston Villa's aspirations. Yes, this season is about consolidation in the Premier League but a Wembley final is just the sort of garnish that raises confidence and will help them achieve that goal. Villa may have painted a loss here as a blessing in disguise and the opportunity to focus on Premier League business, but this win saw a great old ground come alive with emotion and celebrations.

Source: BBC January 28, 2020 23:26 UTC