Luton Town 3 Aston Villa 1: Roberto Di Matteo’s men embarrassed by League Two side in EFL Cup
Woes continue for Roberto Di Matteo's men as Jake Gray, Cameron McGeehan and an Jores Okore own goal dumps Villans out
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ROBERTO DI MATTEO was given a warts-and-all demonstration of how big a job he has to turn around relegated Aston Villa's fortunes as they were dumped out of the EFL Cup in the first round by League Two Luton Town.
Di Matteo once helped Chelsea win the Champions League. But reviving Villa looks a much more difficult task for the former Stamford Bridge manager.
And the defeat could not have come at a worse time for new chairman Dr Tony Xia, who had been ridiculed earlier in the day after claiming Villa will be the top club in Europe with the most fans in the world in FIVE years time.
His side had taken the lead through Jordan Ayew and then simply fell apart with a horror display as League Two Luton put them to the sword with strikes from Jake Gray, Cameron McGeehan and a Jores Okore own goal. Five-times League Cup winners Villa were last night hoping to register their first victory after a 14-game run in which they have lost 13 times and drawn once.
A much-needed victory - after just three wins in the Premier League last season - looked very much on the cards when they went ahead on 13 minutes through Ayew, Villa's seven-goal leading scorer last term.
The Hatters failed to clear a Ross McCormack corner and Ayew wriggled past three defenders before slotting a reverse ball inside the far post.
They should have extended their advantage but Luton led a charmed life in the opening spell.
Hatters defender Glen Rea sliced left-back Jordan Amavi's menacing cross into the six-yard box against his own bar.
Moments later Luton survived another scare when Villa midfielder Jack Grealish tried his luck from 20 yards out only to see his shot cannon against an upright. To say it has been a rocky road for Villa's away support is somewhat of an understatement.
You have to go back A YEAR for the last time the travelling faithful returned home to the Midlands with a win to celebrate.
That was on August 8 when Rudy Gestede's second-half winner took the points at Dean Court against a newly-promoted Bournemouth side. But credit to Luton, who showed why they are one of the bookies' favourites to go up this season.
They levelled on 34 minutes when midfielder Pelly-Ruddock Mpanzu put through a defence-splitting pass into the box for Jake Gray, a summer signing from Crystal Palace, to fire home.
The Hatters almost scored again a minute after the break. Keeper Mark Bunn blocked Danny Hylton's shot and then Micah Richards came to the rescue with Jack Marriott's follow-up effort.
But there was no reprieve as Luton made it 2-1 on 53 minutes with a McGeehan tap-in after Marriott's low shot ricocheted into his path. Villa's luck deserted them on 61 minutes when another corner this time sliced off Hatters captain Johnny Mullins and thudded against the bar. Luton capitalised on it six minutes later as Gray speared over a low cross that cannoned off defender Okore and flashed into the net to make it 3-1.