Leicester vs Villa, Carabao Cup semi-final: Post match thoughts

At the death, Aston Villa squeaks past Leicester City to advance to the Carabao Cup Final after what seemed to be a solid if unspectacular game from the Foxes.

Well, that was a climatic but ultimately disappointing semi-final for Leicester City.  With the Foxes and Aston Villa tied on aggregate 1-1 after the first leg, Villa dramatically strikes back to earn a trip to Wembley in a 2-1 loss at Villa Park.

The scoreline leaves a sour taste knowing how many great chances Leicester had in Villa’s side of the park. It would’ve seemed Kelechi Iheanacho would be the hero after his goal tied it up but Trezeguet had other thoughts at the ’94th minute. Here are some thoughts from this loss.

Orjan Nyland stops literally everything

The main reason the scoreline leaves a bitter taste in the mouths of Foxes fans is how dominant Norwegian goalkeeper Ørjan Nyland was. Despite the numerous chances Leicester had thanks to James Maddison and Youri Tielemans, Nyland rose to the occasion every single time. Tielemans’ long shot was destined for the top corner were it not for the fingertips of Nyland. He saved Villa this game, no doubt about it.

James Maddison creates plenty of chances but just not clinical

Maddison was a creative force in this game. He provided plenty of key passes and set up good opportunities for himself to shoot. Sadly, his shots were either saved, well wide or over the bar. His left foot volley at the start of the game would have been a killing blow for the Villains early on but alas it wasn’t meant to be. He can’t be blamed too much.

Grealish given too much space

Much like Maddison, Jack Grealish was the lynchpin for the Birmingham outfit. His crosses into the box were deadly and thankfully Mbwana  Samatta couldn’t get his feet across one of them. There were far too many times where Grealish was just left alone with tons of space and time to pick out a pass or cross. Leicester was lucky that Grealish didn’t make them pay further.

The Wingers Struggled In All Aspects

If any game proved that Leicester needs to buy a winger before the winter window closes, it was this one. Perez had little to no impact and his failure to track back during Villa counterattacks made things difficult for Ricardo. The Spaniard looked sluggish. Harvey Barnes’s touches were inconsistent and really didn’t put much pressure on anyone, especially Grealish. His assist counts, yes, but his cross was actually a scuffed shot so even a positive moment has a caveat.  Kelechi was just in the right place at the right time to clean up the mess. Gray had more of the same problems Barnes had and failed to provide any spark.

Kelechi Iheanacho is magic

Easily the man of the match. Iheanacho looked spry tonight and set himself well for success. He made some great runs and consistently threatened the Villa defense. His goal was clutch, knowing that he wasn’t even prepared for the ball thanks to Barnes’s scuffed shot. He is building on the fire form of the past few games and looks a player transformed.

Villa unsurprisingly park the bus

Villa was going to do one of two things tonight. Either come out guns blazing or stick to parking the bus just like the first leg. Guess what they did for the second. Thanks to Nyland, Villa was able to hold on despite an onslaught of shots. They were clinical where Leicester weren’t. Matt Targett’s goal gave the Foxes’ rivals the motivation to sit back and absorb pressure. Even when they got careless and received a couple of bookings towards the end, they were able to make Leicester pay via Trezeguet.

Overall, it stinks to be out of the League Cup, especially when the Foxes were heavily favored to win this round. However, there is plenty to learn from this match and Leicester are still in prime position for a Champions League spot. Time to focus on the FA Cup in March. And please, sign a new winger!