Premier League Aston Villa have had a poor season and it got even worse last night as the Villans were beaten 3-1 in the first leg of their semi-final Capitol One Cup tie with fourth tier Bradford City.

The Bantams pulled off a surprise victory over their Premier League opposition through goals from Nahki Wells, Rory McArdle and Carl McHugh.

Deserved

The victory was a deserved one for the League Two side. The home side had already seen off Premier League Arsenal in the last round, but this win would have been even more satisfying for Phil Parkinson and his team.

The lead gives the League Two side a big advantage for the second leg at Villa Park on 22nd January. They now have a great chance of making the final.

Struggle

Villa’s poor season continues. They are still just about in this tie, but even against a League Two side it will be difficult to rescue a two goal deficit. Villa’s form in the Premier League has been inconsistent to say the least.

Villa will need to perform far better in the second leg than in this game. Most top flight teams would be confident with just a two goal deficit against a League Two side. However Villa’s form this season indicates that it could be tough for Paul Lambert’s side to recover from the deficit.

Experience

Aston Villa’s first team currently lack experience and in games like this know-how really does count. Villa boss Paul Lambert has put his faith in young players, but his faith may be slightly misplaced as some of Villa’s younger players have struggled to perform.

Lambert needs to start to play his more experienced players and attempt to bring in some new players in the transfer window. If he doesn’t manage to add to his squad then it could cost him his job.

Can Bradford finish the job off in the second leg?