Aston Villa 1 – 2 Stevenage: Dean Campbell’s latest craze knocks Villa out of FA Cup

CUP specialist Unai Emery was left egg in the face as League 2 club Stevenage scored twice in the last two minutes of regular time to cause a stunning FA Cup upset against Aston Villa.

Emery’s men looked to advance into the fourth round thanks to Morgan Sanson’s first-half strike before Leander Dendoncker was sent off for holding off substitute Dean Campbell after a horrible mistake in the penalty area.

His sub-mate Jamie Reid sent the penalty and then Campbell himself found the winner after Villa fell asleep on a corner. The fans who had arrived couldn’t believe it as they celebrated as Villa were booed after their eighth consecutive defeat in the competition.

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

Leander Dendoncker conceded a careless mistake late in the game that held Campbell down

He was sent off and also conceded a penalty that caused Stevenage to retire

Morgan Sanson completed an excellent team move to give the Villains a goal against Stevenage

Emery has had a good start in life at Villa as the successor to Steven Gerrard but this result is deeply embarrassing given Villa had plans to go deep into the competition, buoyed by Emery’s distinguished heritage in knockout football – he is a four-time winner of the Europe League. But Stevenage will travel to Stoke in the fourth round after well-travelled boss Steve Evans delivered one of the biggest results in their history.

Stevenage has already caused problems for the top teams in this competition, beating Newcastle at that point in 2011 – 13 years after leading them to a replay – and forcing Tottenham to a second game at White Hart Lane in 2012.

Their excellent form in the second tier, where they are second and appear well positioned for promotion, meant they went into this game full of confidence. In a rare start for Villa, Philippe Coutinho fired wide for the first time from long range and fellow Brazilian Douglas Luiz also easily saved a shot from long range from Robin Olsen, who made one of eight substitutions for Emiliano Martinez at Villa from the XI.

Stevenage striker Jamie Reid equalized from the spot after Dendoncker tore down Campbell

There was exhilaration for Stevenage after the final whistle, set to advance to the fourth round

The home side suffered a major disappointment when Luke Norris escaped down the left and crossed Danny Rose to steer past Olsen. The visitors’ cheers were cut short by an offside flag which VAR upheld – despite it being an extremely close decision.

With Stevenage placing all 11 players behind the ball, Villa struggled to make an impact. Leon Bailey was in tears after his incredible injury-time miss against Wolves midweek and he wasn’t luckier here, making a mistake from close range and then losing his balance in a dangerous cross position.

By then, however, Villa was already leading 1-0. Sanson had already seen a blocked shot after a one-two with Danny Ings and it was the Frenchman who put Villa ahead in the 33rd minute. Sanson finished off a skillful pass with 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 arriving from Marseille.

It is the first time Stevenage have reached the fourth round since the 2014/15 season

Matty Cash seemed to have spelling worries for Emery with a groin injury during the game

Danny Rose could have given the visitors a 1-0 lead in the first half but it was ruled offside

With a try ruled out, Stevenage came desperately close to an equalizer when Norris sliced ​​in from the left and pulled in a curling attack from 25 yards that hit the top of the bar with Olsen’s stretch. Aside from his role in goal, Coutinho had little impact on the game and his fall in the penalty area under pressure from Jake Taylor summed up his half.

The second half followed a similar pattern to the first, with Stevenage allowing Villa to have the ball but denying them space where it counted. Bailey should have had a corner as his volley deflected wide and Ings deftly turned only to hit too high. Midway through the half, Calum Chambers narrowly failed to meet Coutinho’s low cross at the far post.

That was the Brazilian’s final contribution, who was replaced by Emiliano Buendia after another performance that left more questions than answers. Shortly after his exit, Jake Reeves shot just wide from outside the area, although Olsen always looked like he had it covered.

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

Villa will regret their missed chances tonight and weren’t disciplined enough in the last third

Just as the game seemed headed for a Villa win, Leander Dendoncker was robbed by substitute Dean Campbell as he took a short pass from Olsen. As Campbell advanced on goal, Dendoncker pulled him back significantly and was shown the straight red card.

Referee Graham Scott pointed to the spot before an endless VAR delay, which nonetheless upheld the decision and ruled the foul had taken place in the penalty area.

Reid confidently sent it off, sending Olsen the wrong way before celebrating provocatively in front of Villa fans.

Stevenage then went for a second penalty when another sub, David Amoo, saw his cross hit Douglas Luiz in the elbow. Their frustration barely lasted a minute, however, when the near corner found Campbell in space and his shot from the corner flew past Olsen at the near post.

Stevenage will now travel to Bet365 Stadium to play Stoke City in the fourth round

There was more bad news for Ludwig Augustinsson, who was also injured