Goals from Anwar El Ghazi and Ahmed Elmohamady saw Aston Villa edge past a youthful Wolves side to reach the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup.

Five-time winners Villa last reached this stage of the competition in 2012.

El Ghazi’s close-range shot crept past Wolves goalkeeper John Ruddy to put the hosts ahead before Patrick Cutrone tapped in a Taylor Perry’s pass to equalise.

But Elmohamady’s flick from a Henri Lansbury free-kick gave Villa victory.

Villa’s experience counts

Given the additional workload that European football has brought to Wolves this season, it was no surprise to see head coach Nuno Espirito Santo make wholesale alterations.

But the inclusion of Chem Campbell among the 11 changes from their Premier League draw at Newcastle did raise eyebrows.

Still too young to pen a professional deal - he turns 17 in December - Campbell’s debut saw him become the club’s second youngest player after Jimmy Mullen in 1939.

There were also run-outs for midfielder Perry, 18, winger Pedro Neto, 19, and a debut for defender Dion Sanderson in the starting XI.

Sanderson, in particular, endured a challenging introduction to senior football, with Villa’s Egypt international Trezeguet claiming a penalty after dribbling beyond the 19-year-old in the first half.

But the difference for Villa was experienced midfielder Lansbury, whose incisive pass unlocked the visiting defence and allowed El Ghazi to score with their only shot on target in the first half.

And after Cutrone levelled, Lansbury, who is yet to start a league game this season, laid on the winner with a low free-kick that Elmohamady, Villa’s captain for the night, met at the near post.

That ensured a repeat of the result from when these two sides last met in the competition back in the 1995-96 season, when Villa went on to lift the trophy.
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*The Guardian*
*Wednesday, 30 October 2019*

Elmohamady gives Aston Villa edge over Wolves in makeshift cup derby. Ahmed Elmohamady, that trusty old right-back, scored his first club goal for over a year to send Aston Villa into the last eight of the Carabao Cup at the expense of youthful Wolves. Villa dominated for long periods and took the lead through Anwar El Ghazi but Patrick Cutrone equalised early in the second half, forcing Villa to go in search of another goal, which Elmohamady delivered less than three minutes later.

A derby in a soldout stadium with a place in a quarter-final up for grabs: this tie had all the ingredients of a classic except for one because neither club deployed their best players. It was understandable from both parties. For Villa the timing was bad, this match being tucked between Premier League games with Manchester City and Liverpool. No surprise, then, that Dean Smith made nine changes, with only regulars Trezeguet and Douglas Luiz retained.

Wolves’ workload is even more onerous because of their Europa League commitments. So Nuno Espírito Santo used the 21st match of his club’s campaign to give full debuts to three teenagers: the 19-year-old wing-back Dion Sanderson, the 18-year-old midfielder Taylor Perry and the forward Chem Campbell who, at 16 years and 304 days, became the second youngest player to start a competitive match for Wolves (the fondly remembered winger Jimmy Mullen was a few months younger when he made his debut in 1939).

With so many youngsters and fringe players eager to seize their chances and a giddy crowd, the absence of big names need not have detracted from the entertainment but the first 10 minutes drifted by like tumbleweed.

A stalwart was the first to excite the Villa park faithful, as Conor Hourihane opened up Wolves with a lovely through-ball to Trezeguet. Max Kilman hurtled across to block the shot.

Wolves took longer to hint at a threat. Their main striker, Cutrone, did not touch the ball until the 13th minute. Moments later Campbell gave a taste of his precocious talent by releasing Sanderson with a wonderful flicked pass. Then Campbell fired off Wolves’ first shot, a powerful drive from 20 yards that narrowly missed the target.

Rúben Vinagre worried Villa with some mischievous runs forward from his left wing-back berth but, overall, Villa controlled most of the play. They were stronger and more fluent and wily. Henri Lansbury made exemplary use of possession when he caught out Vinagre with played a canny pass to El Ghazi, who unloaded a low shot from 15 yards. John Ruddy got a hand to the ball but could not stop it.

Villa grew even more dominant, forcing a makeshift Wolves to strain hard just to stay in touch. By half-time it was not at all clear what Nuno could do to turn the course of events, especially with a bench full of novices.

Neither manager tinkered during the interval but Villa were forced to make a change in the 49th minute when the unfortunate Keinan Davis limped off. Jonathan Kodjia replaced him, wearing a face mask to protect a fractured cheekbone. Five minutes later – and utterly out of the blue – Wolves drew level. Douglas Luiz had been quietly authoritative in the heart of midfield until Perry unceremoniously stripped him off the ball near halfway. The teenager fed Cutrone and then accepted a return pass before curling it back towards the Italian from the left-hand corner of the box. Kortney Hause appealed in vain for offside as Cutrone poked the ball past Jed Steer from close range.

The 5,400 travelling fans had barely finished celebrating when Villa regained the lead. Lansbury pinged a free-kick from wide on the right towards the near post, where Elmohamady got the jump on Bruno Jordão to flick the ball into the net.

Wolves nearly delivered an instant reply, albeit thanks to a slack back-pass by Neil Taylor. Cutrone raced through on goal but Steer saved well. Taylor caused problems at the right end when his low cross found El Ghazi, whose shot was blocked by Bennett.

The closest Wolves’ came to breaking through again was when Pedro Neto dashed 50 yards down the right wing, only to be denied by El Ghazi, who had tracked his every step.
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*Sky Sports*
*Wednesday, 30 October 2019*

Ahmed Elmohamady goal earns quarter-final spot

Aston Villa earned a deserved 2-1 win over a youthful Wolves side at Villa Park to take their place in the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup.

Anwar El Ghazi’s goal gave Villa the lead before the break and though Patrick Cutrone came up with a second-half equaliser, Ahmed Elmohamady won the tie for the home side.

Wolves took more than 5,000 supporters to Villa Park but Nuno Espirito Santo made his intentions clear by changing his entire XI from the team that drew at Newcastle on Sunday.

None of the outfield players from that starting line-up were even in the squad and Wolves paid the price as their eight-game unbeaten run in all competitions came to an end.

Villa dominated from the outset with Trezeguet having a shot well blocked by Max Kilman in the early stages and Conor Hourihane seeing his free kick hit the wall.

But there was no denying El Ghazi when Henri Lansbury cleverly slid him through on goal in the 28th minute and though goalkeeper John Ruddy got a touch to the ball it crept over the line.

Villa looked comfortable but 10 minutes into the second half, Taylor Perry won possession and his subsequent shot was diverted beyond Jed Steer by the outstretched leg of Cutrone.

The parity did not last long because Villa were soon back in front when Lansbury’s low free kick from the right was turned into the net at the near post by Elmohamady.