The Holy Trinity: Aston Villa conclusions from Carabao Cup penalties loss v Brentford

An average performance and another big disappointment overshadow a few green shoots

The League Cup was Aston Villa’s fourth priority this season if it was a priority at all, but the whimpering dissolution of another opportunity for silverware was tough to take.

Villa did play better. It wasn’t easy to spot it, nor particularly memorable or effective, but they did play better. But for a one-in-a-million strike for Brentford’s equaliser, they’d have squeaked through.

In the end, a penalty shoot-out ended Villa’s hopes at the third round stage. I can’t name one player in the Villa squad I’d fancy to take a penalty; I’ve been watching them through my fingers for decades. I certainly can’t name five.

It is, as they say, what it is. Sunday’s match is what really matters and there is at least a sliver of the sense that the direction of travel is better now than it was before the second Brentford game.

I genuinely believe that. Here’s a Holy Trinity of other post-match conclusions.