Aston Villa get tough third round draw in Capital One League Cup

After their convincing 3-0 win over Rotherham United put them into the hat for the third round of the Capital One League Cup, Aston Villa had only to wait to see who their opponents would be. With Birmingham City as one possibility, fans were hoping for another relatively easy draw to help spur another deep run in the competition.

Those hopes may have been dashed, though, as Villa nabbed a tricky match, hosting Tottenham at Villa Park. On the surface, this looks like a really bad draw, but it does have a bit of silver lining. Of course, the club could be without Gareth Bale. But even beyond that, Tottenham will be playing in Europe, pushing for a top-four finish, and this match will be in the least-prestigious of domestic competitions. I very much doubt that Villa will see the Spurs best lineup, or anything even close to it. Plus, the match will be played in front of the Villa faithful in Birmingham.

And Paul Lambert showed today that he's willing to play a first-choice team in this Cup, so there's hope. But boy, it sure would have been nicer to see a lower-league side again. The match will be played in the week of September 23. For the Tottenham perspective, give a visit to SB Nation's Spurs blog, Cartilage Free Captain.

More from 7500 To Holte:

• Aston Villa vs. Rotherham United: Instant reaction to Villa's second-round win
• England squad for September qualifiers or, why does Roy Hodgson hate Aston Villa?
• Kickin' It: It's League Cup Day! Try Not To Ruin It For Everyone.
• Aston Villa defender sent to Notts County on loan