Despite Aston Villa's loss to Arsenal in the FA Cup final last season, the cup run was at least a welcome change from the upsets that have plagued Villa's recent history. An embarrassing exit at the hands of a team from a lower division was an all too regular occurrence under Paul Lambert, with the likes of Bradford City, Milwall, Leyton Orient and Sheffield United booting Villa out of both the FA and League Cups. Like Villa, Notts County have struggled in recent years but could use the League Cup as a welcome distraction. It will be a difficult task for them, though. Sherwood is likely to play a strong squad and will probably use the opportunity to give his newly assembled team more time to gel. New boy Adama Traore could be given his first full debut under the lights at Villa Park, having impressed against Crystal Palace last weekend, during which the ex-Barcelona winger forced an own goal. With only one league win out of three so far, a win against Ricardo Moniz's League Two side could give Villa some confidence ahead of the weekend's clash with Sunderland.
