Perhaps it is fate. Maybe the football gods have a cruel sense of humor. Aston Villa saw their future revealed when the Carabao Cup draw afforded them the opportunity to play Brentford. Villa will be the away side for the third round fixture.
This comes, of course, after the latest Premier League fixture that saw Villa lose by a 1-0 margin. The EPL match saw Villa enjoy a fair share of possession; they were, however, unable to capitalize on having so much of the ball and instead looked rather pedestrian in the attack.
Now, Unai Emery's men will have a quick chance at redemption following what was a disappointing defeat. This affords Villa the opportunity to take care of two additional aspects as well.
With a win, Villa would advance to the next round of the Carabao Cup. In terms of a chance for the club to win silverware, most supporters are looking to Europa League as the best chance to add a trophy to the cabinet. Less obvious but perhaps more important, the nature of being the away side affords Villa the needed prospect to win away from Villa Park.
Important Aston Villa aspect
The side has proven to be practically invincible in B6. Too often, though, the team has not looked quite the same when traveling to a different venue. When considering how the latest fixture at the Gtech Community Stadium went, the draw gives Villa the possibility of correcting a recent wrong.
Being able to win away from VP is an important aspect. Good teams know how to play just as well as guests and do not have to shift to a more defensive approach.
Although many predicted that Villa would be drawn away to Old Trafford, what actually ended up happening presents a different type of challenge. It is one, though, that Villa need to be able to solve.