• Mahmoud Trezeguet avoids the challenge of Ricardo Perreira to score the winning goal during the League Cup semi final at Villa Park. Getty Images
    Mahmoud Trezeguet avoids the challenge of Ricardo Perreira to score the winning goal during the League Cup semi final at Villa Park. Getty Images
  • Aston Villa's Tyrone Mings celebrates with fans on the pitch. Reuters
    Aston Villa's Tyrone Mings celebrates with fans on the pitch. Reuters
  • Leicester players dejected as smoke passes from flares after Aston Villa's second goal scored by Trezeguet. Reuters
    Leicester players dejected as smoke passes from flares after Aston Villa's second goal scored by Trezeguet. Reuters
  • Leicester City's Caglar Soyuncu attempts an acrobatic clearance. Reuters
    Leicester City's Caglar Soyuncu attempts an acrobatic clearance. Reuters
  • Trezeguet celebrates after the match with Aston Villa fans. Reuters
    Trezeguet celebrates after the match with Aston Villa fans. Reuters
  • Aston Villa's Tyrone Mings heads the ball. Reuters
    Aston Villa's Tyrone Mings heads the ball. Reuters
  • Trezeguet celebrates scoring Aston Villa's winning goal. PA
    Trezeguet celebrates scoring Aston Villa's winning goal. PA
  • Aston Villa celebrate victory after the League Cup semi final. Getty Images
    Aston Villa celebrate victory after the League Cup semi final. Getty Images
  • Jack Grealish, Orjan Nyland, Marvelous Nakamba, and Matt Targett celebrate victory. AFP
    Jack Grealish, Orjan Nyland, Marvelous Nakamba, and Matt Targett celebrate victory. AFP
  • Demarai Gray of Leicester City looks dejected after defeat in the League Cup semi final. Getty Images
    Demarai Gray of Leicester City looks dejected after defeat in the League Cup semi final. Getty Images
  • Tyrone Mings tries to leave the pitch after Aston Villa fans celebrate on the pitch. AFP
    Tyrone Mings tries to leave the pitch after Aston Villa fans celebrate on the pitch. AFP
  • Aston Villa players celebrate after Trezeguet scores the winning goal. AFP
    Aston Villa players celebrate after Trezeguet scores the winning goal. AFP
  • Police officers and stewards line the pitch as Aston Villa fans celebrate on the pitch. AFP
    Police officers and stewards line the pitch as Aston Villa fans celebrate on the pitch. AFP
  • Aston Villa players and fans celebrate on the pitch. Reuters
    Aston Villa players and fans celebrate on the pitch. Reuters
  • Ben Chilwell of Leicester City after the final whistle as flare smoke covers the Villa Park pitch. Getty Images
    Ben Chilwell of Leicester City after the final whistle as flare smoke covers the Villa Park pitch. Getty Images
  • Aston Villa players celebrate with fans on the pitch. Reuters
    Aston Villa players celebrate with fans on the pitch. Reuters
  • Leicester City's Youri Tielemans walks past Aston Villa fans and players in celebration. Reuters
    Leicester City's Youri Tielemans walks past Aston Villa fans and players in celebration. Reuters
  • Leicester City's Demarai Gray is consoled by a supporter at the end of the match. Reuters
    Leicester City's Demarai Gray is consoled by a supporter at the end of the match. Reuters

Aston Villa players and fans celebrate together on the pitch after reaching League Cup final in dramatic style - in pictures


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Egyptian midfielder Trezeguet scored a dramatic injury time winner for Aston Villa to seal an "emotional" 2-1 win over Leicester City and send his team in to the League Cup final 3-2 on aggregate on Tuesday night.

Matt Targett's early opener put Villa in front, but Leicester enjoyed the majority of the chances and finally found a way past Orjan Nyland when Kelechi Iheanacho levelled 18 minutes from time.

Villa then snatched victory to earn a trip to Wembley on March 1 to face Manchester City or Manchester United when Trezeguet connected perfectly with fellow Egyptian Ahmed Elmohamady's cross three minutes into added time.

"It was emotional for everyone when that goal goes in," said Villa manager Dean Smith, a lifelong fan of the club. "Taking this club to Wembley, I will be a very proud man."

Defeat ends Leicester manager Brendan Rodgers's unbeaten run of 31 straight domestic cup matches after a dominant spell at Celtic and he rued his side's inability to turn their dominance into goals.

"I thought we were excellent in the game. We played with a nice control and composure, but their goalkeeper has made some outstanding saves," said Rodgers.

"I'm gutted for my players because we put so much into the game. I thought at the end there was only one team was going to win it, but we switch off at the last minute."

The visitors started with top scorer Jamie Vardy on the bench as he was eased back into action after a glute injury, but Leicester still blasted out of the traps.

Iheanacho was denied in the first of a string of big saves by Nyland in the Villa goal inside the first three minutes. James Maddison then had a hat-trick of efforts, two of which brought saves from Nyland.

However, it was Villa who struck first when the impressive Jack Grealish teed up Targett to fire across Kasper Schmeichel 12 minutes in.

Nyland may not even have played if Villa's new No 1 Pepe Reina had been fit to play, but the Norwegian was inspired as he produced his best save of the night to turn Youri Tielemans's piledriver onto the bar.

"[Reina] wasn't fit so I didn't have to make that decision," said Smith on who would have played. "I knew the quality Orjan has got."

Maddison was furious he was not awarded a penalty moments later when he saw another effort repelled by the arm of Marvelous Nakamba.

Mbwana Samatta was making his Villa debut after an £8.5 million (Dh40.6m) switch from Belgian club Genk, but his first experience of Villa Park is not one the Tanzanian will remember fondly as he somehow failed to turn home another brilliant Grealish delivery early in the second half.

That could have proved the knockout blow for Leicester, but instead they were very much back in the tie when an explosive burst from Harvey Barnes teed up Iheanacho to finish.

Just when both sides seemed to be preparing for extra-time, Leicester were hit with a sucker punch when Elmohamady's cross was volleyed into the bottom corner by his compatriot.

Trezeguet had to be hauled from the field by Villa security personnel after he was mobbed in a pitch invasion following the final whistle as the home fans celebrated a famous win wildly having spent the last three seasons in the Championship.

"I love a trip to Wembley. We're looking forward to it," said Grealish, who has been instrumental to Villa's improved form in the past few weeks.

"It shows what character we've got in the team. We were in a sticky patch before Christmas - we couldn't string four passes together, never mind win a game, but we have started the new year in great form."

The exception to that upturn was a 6-1 hammering at the hands of City and it is Pep Guardiola's men who are likely to lie in wait for Villa in the final as they hold a 3-1 first leg lead heading into the second leg of their semi-final with United on Wednesday.