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.

COMPANY PROFILE

Name: Xpanceo

Started: 2018

Founders: Roman Axelrod, Valentyn Volkov

Based: Dubai, UAE

Industry: Smart contact lenses, augmented/virtual reality

Funding: $40 million

Investor: Opportunity Venture (Asia)

Miss Granny

Director: Joyce Bernal

Starring: Sarah Geronimo, James Reid, Xian Lim, Nova Villa

3/5

(Tagalog with Eng/Ar subtitles)

What can victims do?

Always use only regulated platforms

Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion

Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)

Report to local authorities

Warn others to prevent further harm

Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence

UPI facts

More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions

While you're here

Michael Young: Where is Lebanon headed?

Kareem Shaheen: I owe everything to Beirut

Raghida Dergham: We have to bounce back

The National's picks

4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young

The Kites

Romain Gary

Penguin Modern Classics

Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills

Profile of MoneyFellows

Founder: Ahmed Wadi

Launched: 2016

Employees: 76

Financing stage: Series A ($4 million)

Investors: Partech, Sawari Ventures, 500 Startups, Dubai Angel Investors, Phoenician Fund

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The Facility’s Versatility

Between the start of the 2020 IPL on September 20, and the end of the Pakistan Super League this coming Thursday, the Zayed Cricket Stadium has had an unprecedented amount of traffic.
Never before has a ground in this country – or perhaps anywhere in the world – had such a volume of major-match cricket.
And yet scoring has remained high, and Abu Dhabi has seen some classic encounters in every format of the game.
 
October 18, IPL, Kolkata Knight Riders tied with Sunrisers Hyderabad
The two playoff-chasing sides put on 163 apiece, before Kolkata went on to win the Super Over
 
January 8, ODI, UAE beat Ireland by six wickets
A century by CP Rizwan underpinned one of UAE’s greatest ever wins, as they chased 270 to win with an over to spare
 
February 6, T10, Northern Warriors beat Delhi Bulls by eight wickets
The final of the T10 was chiefly memorable for a ferocious over of fast bowling from Fidel Edwards to Nicholas Pooran
 
March 14, Test, Afghanistan beat Zimbabwe by six wickets
Eleven wickets for Rashid Khan, 1,305 runs scored in five days, and a last session finish
 
June 17, PSL, Islamabad United beat Peshawar Zalmi by 15 runs
Usman Khawaja scored a hundred as Islamabad posted the highest score ever by a Pakistan team in T20 cricket

MATCH INFO

Syria v Australia
2018 World Cup qualifying: Asia fourth round play-off first leg
Venue: Hang Jebat Stadium, Malayisa
Kick-off: Thursday, 4.30pm (UAE)
Watch: beIN Sports HD

* Second leg in Australia on October 10

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: 2.5-litre, turbocharged 5-cylinder

Transmission: seven-speed auto

Power: 400hp

Torque: 500Nm

Price: Dh300,000 (estimate)

On sale: 2022 

While you're here
Set-jetting on the Emerald Isle

Other shows filmed in Ireland include: Vikings (County Wicklow), The Fall (Belfast), Line of Duty (Belfast), Penny Dreadful (Dublin), Ripper Street (Dublin), Krypton (Belfast)

The burning issue

The internal combustion engine is facing a watershed moment – major manufacturer Volvo is to stop producing petroleum-powered vehicles by 2021 and countries in Europe, including the UK, have vowed to ban their sale before 2040. The National takes a look at the story of one of the most successful technologies of the last 100 years and how it has impacted life in the UAE. 

Read part four: an affection for classic cars lives on

Read part three: the age of the electric vehicle begins

Read part one: how cars came to the UAE

 

Batti Gul Meter Chalu

Producers: KRTI Productions, T-Series
Director: Sree Narayan Singh
Cast: Shahid Kapoor, Shraddha Kapoor, Divyenndu Sharma, Yami Gautam
Rating: 2/5