Villa v Wolves – is an EFL Cup run worthwhile for these two potential outsiders?

Aston Villa and Wolves meet in the last 16 of the EFL Cup on Wednesday and, if they put their minds to it, they could go far. Both sides play well on the counter-attack with pace and prowess. However, with Villa trying to establish themselves in the Premier League and Wolves balancing their domestic and European commitments, is this extra competition an unnecessary distraction?
Villa blew the Championship apart in the second half of last season, rising from 15th when Dean Smith was appointed in October to finish fifth in the standings before beating Derby 2-1 in the play-off final.
The board backed Smith in the summer transfer window, bolstering his squad with 12 new signings, improving them from front to back and the only way appears to be up.
A solid start consisting of three wins and two draws from 10 Premier League games leaves the Villans 15th in the table although survival has to be the aim in their first season back in the big time.
The EFL Cup, and potentially the FA Cup in the new year, can provide Smith with an outlet to experiment. The 48-year-old has rung the changes in the 6-1 win over Crewe and 3-1 success at Cardiff.
These matches have provided the likes of centre-back Ezri Konsa, midfielder Douglas Luiz and left-back Neil Taylor, players who would be first reserves in their position or have played intermittently this term, with a chance to be fit when called upon.
The current situation keeps people happy but for Wolves it may prove to be a challenge too far.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s side finished seventh last season, earning them a ticket to the Europa League and, having avoided defeat in their last eight, they now look to be adapting to the rigours of balancing domestic and continental action.
However, the Portuguese coach fielded wing-back Matt Doherty on the right side of his back three in Sunday’s 1-1 draw at Newcastle and admitted his playing resources were stretched.
Central defensive duo Willy Boly and Ryan Bennett are both nursing fitness issues but otherwise the squad seems to be holding firm in the face of their Sunday-Thursday schedule.
Morale may be all they can gain from continuing their EFL Cup run and Wolves could instead be better served by setting their sights on the FA Cup. That is, of course, dependent on whether they make it into the knockout rounds of the Europa League.
In fairness to Nuno, there does not seem to be too much drop off in quality when the coach has to rotate.
Even still, they do lack numbers and the former Valencia boss’s recent tweaks have shown how hard he is having to think about keeping his players fresh.
Both Villa’s and Wolves’ fans would love a run in this competition. Only a 40-minute or so drive separates the teams and a win on Wednesday will see one side of the divide going to work on Thursday with smiles on their faces.
These two have won the League Cup seven times between them over the years. However, if you asked both Smith and Nuno whether they’d choose Wembley glory of mid-table mediocrity, the pragmatism of a Premier League manager means the latter would probably be their immediate answer.