Two titanic tussles, two deserved winners. After three hours of action in each semi-final, we finally know which two sides will contest the first domestic cup final of the English league season and it will be Aston Villa who face Manchester City on Sunday, March 1st.

Aston Villa 2-1 Leicester City (3-2 on aggregate)

The first semi-final to be decided took place at a pulsating Villa Park. With the sides level after 90 minutes at the King Power Stadium, it was the visitors who got off to the brightest start, with James Maddison at the heart of several intricate moves. Twice, Maddison was the architect of the shot at the end of those moves, but he was denied superbly on both occasions by Ørjan Nyland in the Villa goal.

Inspired by their goalkeeper’s ridiculous resolution between the sticks, Villa went up the other end and scored with their first attack, Jack Grealish managing to squeeze the ball out to Matt Targett, who fired an unstoppable rocket past the despairing stare of Kasper Schmeichel in The Foxes goal.