Aston Villa 1 – 2 Stevenage: Dean Campbell’s last-gasp screamer knocks Villa out of FA Cup

CUP specialist Unai Emery was stunned when League Two club Stevenage scored twice in the last two minutes of normal time to cause a stunning FA Cup upset against Aston Villa.

Emery’s men appeared to be closing in on the fourth round thanks to Morgan Sanson’s first-half goal, before Leander Dendoncker was sent off for holding substitute Dean Campbell inside the box after a terrible mistake.

His teammate Jamie Reid conceded the penalty and then Campbell himself scored the winner after Villa fell asleep in a corner. The traveling fans could hardly believe it as they celebrated wildly as Villa was booed after their eighth consecutive defeat in this competition.

Dean Campbell’s last-minute goal for Stevenage knocked Aston Villa out of the FA Cup

Leander Dendoncker admitted to a careless mistake late in the game that slowed Campbell down

He was sent off and also conceded a penalty which saw Stevenage go back to level.

Morgan Sanson pulled off an excellent team move to put the Villains one goal ahead against Stevenage.

Emery has made a good start to life at Villa after succeeding Steven Gerrard, but this result is a huge shame, especially as Villa had plans to go deeper into the competition, buoyed by Emery’s outstanding pedigree in knockout football – it is four times winner. of the Europa League. But Stevenage will travel to Stoke in the fourth round after boss Steve Evans masterminded one of the best results ever.

Stevenage have caused trouble for top-flight teams in this competition before, beating Newcastle at this stage in 2011, 13 years after taking them to a replay, and also forcing Tottenham to a second game at White Hart Lane in 2012.

Their excellent form in League Two, where they are second and seem well-prepared for promotion, saw them come into this game full of confidence. In an unusual start for Villa, Philippe Coutinho’s first involvement was shooting from distance, and fellow Brazilian Douglas Luiz also had a long-range shot that was handily saved by Robin Olsen, who replaced Emiliano Martínez as one of the eight. changes to the Villa from the XI.

Stevenage striker Danny Rose could have put the League 2 side ahead in the first half

Danny Rose could have put the visiting team 1-0 up in the first half, but he was declared offside

Matty Cash appeared to hold out with a groin injury during the match, raising concerns for Emery.

The home side were in for a big disappointment when Luke Norris broke free on the left and crossed Danny Rose past Olsen. The visitors’ celebrations were interrupted by an offside flag, which VAR confirmed, although it was an extremely close decision.

With Stevenage getting all 11 players behind the ball, Villa struggled to make an impact. Leon Bailey was left in tears after his incredible stoppage-time miss against Wolves in midweek and had no more luck here, kicking poorly from close range and then losing his balance in a dangerous cross position.

By then, however, Villa were leading 1-0. Sanson had already seen a shot blocked after a brace with Danny Ings and it was the Frenchman who put Villa ahead on 33′. Sanson completed a deft passing move involving Coutinho, Bailey and Ings to calm the nerves of the home fans. It was Sanson’s first goal for the club, almost two years after his arrival from Marseille.

Philippe Coutinho made his first start under the Villa manager who joined in October

After ruling out an effort, Stevenage came desperately close to a draw when Norris cut inside from left and hit a 25-yard effort that hit the top of the bar with Olsen stretching. Aside from his role in the goal, Coutinho was having little influence on the game and his drop in the box under pressure from Jake Taylor summed up the part for him.

The second half followed a similar pattern to the first, with Stevenage allowing Villa to have the ball but denying them space where it mattered. Bailey should have had a corner when his volley was deflected wide and Ings spun cleverly only to hit too high. Midway through the half, Calum Chambers was unable to nail a low cross from Coutinho at the far post.

That was the last contribution of the Brazilian, who was replaced by Emiliano Buendía after another performance that left more questions than answers. Shortly after his departure, Jake Reeves fired wide from outside the box, although Olsen always seemed to have him covered.

Villa will regret his missed chances on the night and he wasn’t clinical enough in the final third.

Just as the game seemed to be snaking towards a Villa victory, Leander Dendoncker was assaulted by substitute Dean Campbell when he received a short pass from Olsen. As Campbell advanced towards goal, Dendoncker clearly pushed him back and was shown a straight red card. Referee Graham Scott flagged the spot before an endless VAR delay, which nonetheless upheld the decision, ruling that the foul had occurred inside the box.

Reid sent it off with confidence, sending Olsen down the wrong path before celebrating provocatively in front of the Villa fans.

Stevenage then wanted a second penalty when another substitute, David Amoo, saw his cross hit Douglas Luiz in the elbow. His frustration lasted barely a minute, however, as the short corner kick found Campbell in space and his shot from the angle flew past Olsen at the near post.