Aston Villa 1-0 Birmingham City as it happened

1. Rudy Gestede goal gives Villa victory
2. Villa into fourth round of League Cup
3. Jacques Maghoma misses best chance for Blues
4. 121st second city derby

Villa take the bragging rights

Getty Images

That's it from us then, on a night when Aston Villa fans celebrated victory in the first second city derby for nearly five years.

They go through to the fourth round of the League Cup thanks to Rudy Gestede's second half header, while Birmingham will return to league matters, hoping that tonight's game doesn't turn out to be their biggest game of the season.

You can read more in Ged Scott's match report here.

Don't forget, there are another eight games for you to enjoy tomorrow with another live text commentary, including a north London derby between Tottenham and Arsenal.

We'll see you then. Good night.

Reaction

Blues boss Gary Rowett tells Sky Sports:

"There are huge positives, against a Premier League side. I thought, in the first-half, we were the better side, moving the ball around well and limiting them to only a few opportunities.

"A moment of quality undid us. It was a brilliant finish from Gestede, very hard to stop.

"After that, Jacques Maghoma did really well but just managed to skew his shot. It was probably the best chance of the game. To make it 1-1 then, would have been very interesting.

"For vast parts of the game, I thought we were excellent. We can count ourselves very unfortunate to have lost. We can walk out of the stadium with our heads held high.

"Tonight we've more than matched a Premier League side, and at times were better than them. We've got to do that again and now try and move up the league table."

Elsewhere in the League Cup

Among tonight's other games, Hull have knocked out Premier League Swansea, Stoke have won at Championship Fulham, and Manchester City eased past Sunderland.

Extra-time is being played in the games at Leicester and Preston.

You can follow live text coverage of those games here.

Reaction

Aston Villa goal scorer Rudy Gestede tells Sky Sports:

"It was a tough game today. It was important to get the win, for confidence, as we didn't start the season well in the league.

"We changed it a bit in the second half, we tried to get the ball more. We got the ball into feet and did very well. It was good management.

"We needed a win. It is very important for us."

Deepak Mahay

BBC Sport at Villa Park

BBC

If there was a roof in Villa Park it would have come off at full-time. Villa 1-0 Blues. Relief for Sherwood, Rowett will be disappointed his side didn't do much in the second half."

FT: Aston Villa 1-0 Birmingham City

Villa were frustrated in the first half by an organised and composed Birmingham side, but Tim Sherwood's double substitution at half-time really changed things. How big a win could that be, for the Villa boss, after the weekend's loss to West Brom? His side have some tough games coming up too.

Martin O'Connor

former Birmingham captain on BBC WM 95.6

First half Blues played well without a cutting edge. Second half they couldn't deal with the inclusion of Grealish."

FT: Aston Villa 1-0 Birmingham City

So it is relief for Aston Villa, and disappointment for Birmingham City.

The visitors more than held their own, and Gary Rowett will be satisfied with the way his side played, but it is the home fans who are celebrating at Villa Park.

FULL-TIME

The referee calls time on this one and Aston Villa have the win in this big second city derby thanks to Rudy Gestede's second-half goal.

Getty Images

Aston Villa 1-0 Birmingham City

Jon Toral has space down the right for a cross for Birmingham but his ball into the box is blocked by the second man. Blues have seconds left to level.

Aston Villa 1-0 Birmingham City

Villa are just trying to see the game out now. They are getting closer to a vital win for Tim Sherwood.

Aston Villa 1-0 Birmingham City

The first minute of stoppage time passes without a Birmingham chance. Time is running out for the Blues.

Aston Villa 1-0 Birmingham City

Four minutes of added time have been indicated.

Aston Villa 1-0 Birmingham City

Villa have won a corner and they have the ball exactly where they want it.

Aston Villa 1-0 Birmingham City

Aston Villa win a free-kick just inside the Birmingham half and that's going to help them pass the time a bit quicker.

Aston Villa 1-0 Birmingham City

Birmingham may as well go for it now. They are into the closing stages at Villa Park.

But Villa go close at the other end, as Tomasz Kuszczak is forced into a good save from Jordan Ayew.

Getty Images

Get Involved at #bbcfootball

Jack Grealish has certainly been impressive since he came on at half-time Tom.

Aston Villa 1-0 Birmingham City

Villa are sitting quite a bit deeper all of a sudden as Birmingham search for the leveller. Viv Solomon-Otabor shoots wide with his left foot for the Blues.

Aston Villa 1-0 Birmingham City

Neither of those Birmingham substitutions will change their formation too much. But can they help Birmingham find an equaliser?

Viv Solomon-Otabor goes for goal but misses the ball with a bit of an air shot.

Brian Little

ex-Aston Villa player & manager on BBC WM 95.6

A second goal would be massive for Villa. They've not won a lot of games this season and could do with that cushion."

SUBSTITUTION

Double change for Blues. Jacques Maghoma and Clayton Donaldson are replaced by Viv Solomon-Otabor and Nicolai Brock-Madsen.

Aston Villa 1-0 Birmingham City

Villa almost double their lead but Jordan Ayew's dangerous ball across the box goes past everyone and out for a goal kick.

YELLOW CARD

Villa's Ashley Westwood is booked for holding onto the ball for too long.

Aston Villa 1-0 Birmingham City

Tomasz Kuszczak dives to his right to palm away Scott Sinclair's free-kick. That wasn't a bad effort from the Villa man.

YELLOW CARD

Michael Morrison is booked for pulling back Jack Grealish after he had skipped past him. Simple one for the referee. Villa have a free-kick.

Martin O'Connor

former Birmingham captain on BBC WM 95.6

That was a great chance for Blues. It's on his left foot but it's an easy one for Guzan.

CLOSE!

Huge chance for Blues to equalise but Jacques Maghoma can't beat Brad Guzan. The winger beat the offside trap to race onto Demarai Gray's neat through ball into the area but his left-footed effort was too close to the keeper, and didn't have enough power on it. Was that Birmingham's moment?

Aston Villa 1-0 Birmingham City

Birmingham have responded reasonably well and things are a bit more even again, since that Villa goal. But it is the visitors who have to make things happen now, not Villa.

Aston Villa 1-0 Birmingham City

Maikel Kieftenbeld's misplaced ball back to the goalkeeper gifts Villa a corner. Villa can't capitalise though, as the set-piece comes to nothing.

Aston Villa 1-0 Birmingham City

Demarai Gray has a pop from outside the area but his shot swings wide of the right post. That was better from Birmingham, though.

Getty Images

Aston Villa 1-0 Birmingham City

Villa's Jack Grealish skips his way to the byline but the ball goes out for a goal kick. He wants a corner, but it isn't given.

Deepak Mahay

BBC Sport at Villa Park

Villa Park erupted when Rudy Gestede put the home side ahead. It's a cracking atmosphere now. Jack Grealish was involved in build up. He's been brilliant since he came on."

BBC

SUBSTITUTION

Jon Toral, on loan from Arsenal, comes on for Birmingham's David Davis. That's an attacking switch from Gary Rowett, as Toral will sit just behind Clayton Donaldson up top.

Brian Little

ex-Aston Villa player & manager on BBC WM 95.6

If Gestede is on the move in the box, he's very hard to stop. It's an excellent goal."

Aston Villa 1-0 Birmingham City

Villa have been made to work hard for that opening goal, but they have a breakthrough at last. Could that end up being the winner tonight? Or will Birmingham respond?

GOAL (Gestede)

Big goal. Villa take the lead. It was a good cross from the left from Jordan Amavi, which picks out Rudy Gestede, who heads powerfully into the bottom corner at the near post, for his second goal of the season. Villa Park absolutely loves that.

Robbie Savage

BBC Radio 5 live

Getty Images

Tim Sherwood has been criticised for his substitutions in the past but here he has got them on early and they've shown real positivity."

Aston Villa 0-0 Birmingham City

Jacques Maghoma's delivery goes over everyone in the penalty area and Birmingham have to start again with a throw-in on the half-way line.

Aston Villa 0-0 Birmingham City

Birmingham have won a corner down their right flank.

Aston Villa 0-0 Birmingham City

Getty Images

Time is ticking by in this second half and we are still waiting for the first goal. The noise picks up another notch. Can Birmingham withstand this Villa spell? The hosts still haven't created many clear-cut chances, despite their improvements since the break.

Martin O'Connor

former Birmingham captain on BBC WM 95.6

Villa have started with a much better tempo. Birmingham need to let the Villa centre halves have more of the ball and make sure their midfielders can't get on the ball as easily."

Aston Villa 0-0 Birmingham City

Birmingham City get forward with Jacques Maghoma but his low cross can't find Clayton Donaldson. Villa are the happier team at the moment.

Aston Villa 0-0 Birmingham City

Villa's Scott Sinclair heads wide. He was leaning back a bit too much to direct that towards goal. But it was a decent ball in from Jordan Veretout. Villa are building some pressure here.

Robbie Savage

BBC Radio 5 live

Grealish has only been on for three of four minutes and he's already had more touches of the ball than most of the Villa midfielders had in the first half."

Aston Villa 0-0 Birmingham City

Villa do look better since Jack Grealish has come in in midfield. He whips the ball in towards Rudy Gestede but he fires over. Aston Villa have been awarded a corner though. Did that touch any Birmingham players? Blues don't think so. The corner is cleared, however.

Brian Little

ex-Aston Villa player & manager on BBC WM 95.6

For the first time in the game Birmingham are being a little bit stretched. Villa aren't so compact up front this half."

Get Involved at #bbcfootball

So how are the nerves Villa/Blues fans? 

Who's going to come out on top in this second city derby?

Get in touch using the #bbcfootball on Twitter.

Aston Villa 0-0 Birmingham City

Aston Villa win the first corner of the second half but the cross comes to nothing.

Aston Villa 0-0 Birmingham City

Birmingham win an early free-kick wide on their left but Demarai Gray hits it too close to Brad Guzan.

Martin O'Connor

former Birmingham captain on BBC WM 95.6

It'll be interesting to see who picks Grealish up after that change. Centre halves won't want to step out and midfielders won't want to sink too deep."

KICK-OFF

Villa get this game re-started. I get the sense that the first goal will be really, really crucial.

SUBSTITUTION

Villa make a double change at the break, with Jack Grealish and Jordan Ayew coming on for Gabby Agbonlahor, who definitely had a knock, and Joleon Lescott.

HT: Aston Villa 0-0 Birmingham City

Robbie Savage

BBC Radio 5 live

Villa have been poor. Birmingham have been so comfortable in possession. Gleeson is winning the midfield battle against Westwood."

HT: Aston Villa 0-0 Birmingham City

So far, this game has had the feel of a derby that could be decided by just a single goal, a single mistake, or a single decision. There is very little in it.

It is worth reminding you at this stage that we will definitely have a result tonight - this game will go to extra-time, and even penalties, if needed.

Get Involved at #bbcfootball

League Cup third round update

We may be short on goals at Villa Park, but there's been plenty of action elsewhere in the third round of the League Cup.

I'll start at the Stadium of Light where Manchester City are 4-0 up against Sunderland. It doesn't get any better for Dick Advocaat does it?

In the other all Premier League tie at the King Power Stadium it's 1-1 between Leicester and West Ham.

Championship side Hull are beating Swansea 1-0, Bournemouth are 1-0 up at Preston and Stoke are also leading by a single goal at Fulham.

Middlesbrough are 1-0 up against fellow Championship side Wolves and Nick Blackman has just put Reading 1-0 up against Everton in our only 20:00 BST kick-off.

Click here for live text commentary of the other League Cup ties.

HT: Aston Villa 0-0 Birmingham City

Deepak Mahay

BBC Sport at Villa Park

Boos at half time from the Villa fans. The Blues fans are happy.

HALF-TIME

Getty Images

So no goals in the first 45 minutes at Villa Park. Birmingham will be the happier side at the break. Can Villa improve in the second half?

Aston Villa 0-0 Birmingham City

Leandro Bacuna takes the free-kick but his shot flies high and wide of the goal, cue ironic cheers from the Birmingham fans.

Aston Villa 0-0 Birmingham City

A foul by Maikel Kieftenbeld on Ciaran Clark gives Villa a free-kick about 30 yards from goal. We are just into two minutes of added time.

Aston Villa 0-0 Birmingham City

Villa striker Gabby Agbonlahor has carried on for now, by the way, perhaps until at least half-time.

Martin O'Connor

former Birmingham captain on BBC WM 95.6

If you're a Blues player, that booking for Clark will give you a boost because he's having a bit of a wobble at the minute."

Aston Villa 0-0 Birmingham City

Demarai Gray swings in the free-kick and the ball is headed out as far as Jacques Maghoma, but his volley from outside the area goes well wide of the right post.

YELLOW CARD

Ciaran Clark is booked for Villa. Blues have a free-kick.

Martin O'Connor

former Birmingham captain on BBC WM 95.6

Birmingham are affecting Villa with their composure in possession at the moment."

Aston Villa 0-0 Birmingham City

Scott Sinclair gets down the Villa right into the box but his shot towards the roof of the net is saved by Tomasz Kuszczak.

Get Involved at #bbcfootball

Aston Villa 0-0 Birmingham City

Stephen Gleeson curls in the resulting free-kick but that is too close to Brad Guzan and it is an easy catch for the Villa keeper.

Aston Villa 0-0 Birmingham City

Demarai Gray wins a free-kick in a dangerous position for Birmingham.

Aston Villa 0-0 Birmingham City

Gabby Agbonlahor is receiving some treatment on the pitch. Can he continue?

Deepak Mahay

BBC Sport at Villa Park

It's a very tight game so far, lots of wayward passes and a handful of crunching tackles. Electric atmosphere inside Villa Park though.

BBC

Aston Villa 0-0 Birmingham City

Tim Sherwood looks to be a very unhappy figure on the touchline. He is shouting, animatedly, from his technical area at his players.

Aston Villa 0-0 Birmingham City

Birmingham break quickly with a neat ball through to Clayton Donaldson and he has a chance to shoot but he decides he is too far out and cuts inside, but by that time three Villa players are back to crowd him out.

Aston Villa 0-0 Birmingham City

Gabby Agbonlahor has a go from the corner of the box for Villa but drags his right-footed shot well wide.

Brian Little

ex-Aston Villa player & manager on BBC WM 95.6

What impresses me from Birmingham at the moment is that you can see they've got a clear game plan. They're not embarrassed to not have the ball."

Aston Villa 0-0 Birmingham City

Birmingham boss Gary Rowett will be satisfied with his side's showing so far. They are doing the job he has asked of them. Villa are just starting to get sligthly frustrated.

Brian Little

ex-Aston Villa player & manager on BBC WM 95.6

It's a silly foul from Agbonlahor. I hope it doesn't cost him or the team."

YELLOW CARD

Gabby Agbonlahor is booked for a foul on Jonathan Grounds.

Aston Villa 0-0 Birmingham City

Micah Richards climbs highest at the far post from a Villa corner but his header goes wide. He was too far out to trouble the keeper, I'd say.

Aston Villa 0-0 Birmingham City

Getty Images

Clayton Donaldson gets in behind the Villa defence but he is correctly adjudged to have been offside. His looped shot went wide regardless though.

Brian Little

ex-Aston Villa player & manager on BBC WM 95.6

I'd like to see Rudy Gestede play more like Peter Withe - who played for both these sides - and pin the centre backs."

Aston Villa 0-0 Birmingham City

After a fairly end-to-end first 10 minutes or so, things have quietened down a bit on the pitch, but not so off it. The noise is relentless.

Birmingham pass the ball around nicely to their right and Jacques Maghoma's cross is aimed towards Clayton Donaldson, but Villa get the ball away.

Get Involved at #bbcfootball

I think that may be a little harsh David, but football's a funny business!

Aston Villa 0-0 Birmingham City

This game is being played at a pretty high tempo so far. Both teams are going in search of the opening goal.

Aston Villa 0-0 Birmingham City

If anyone is going to score for Aston Villa tonight, it might well be Gabby Agbonlahor. The striker has a fine record of netting in the second city derby. He does look lively, in these early stages.

Getty Images

Brian Little

ex-Aston Villa player & manager on BBC WM 95.6

The Villa front three are pulling Birmingham's back four very tight so there's a lot of room in wide areas."

Aston Villa 0-0 Birmingham City

Gabby Agbonlahor is the target for a dangerous, low cross from Leandro Bacuna. Tomasz Kuszczak comes out bravely to claim the ball at Agbonlahor's feet.

Martin O'Connor

former Birmingham captain on BBC WM 95.6

Birmingham are playing patient possession football. It can take the sting out of games like this."

Aston Villa 0-0 Birmingham City

Aston Villa almost score but Birmingham get the ball away after a slight goalmouth scramble. Rudy Gestede tries to get his shot away but Tomasz Kuscszak did well to scramble clear before he could.

Aston Villa 0-0 Birmingham City

Demarai Gray curls it over the wall but it goes straight into Brad Guzan's waiting arms.

Aston Villa 0-0 Birmingham City

Birmingham have won a free-kick just otuside the D, after a shove on Jacques Maghoma by Joleon Lescott.

CLOSE!

Birmingham's Jacques Maghoma works his way into space in the penalty area but his shot goes narrowly wide of the far post. Brad Guzan looked beaten. That was a let off for Villa.

Brian Little

ex-Aston Villa player & manager on BBC WM 95.6

The players from both sides have responded to the terrific atmosphere. They're both on the front foot so far."

Aston Villa 0-0 Birmingham City

Young Blues winger Demarai Gray does well to get the byline, after a long ball from Stephen Gleeson, but his left-footed cross goes over the bar.

Aston Villa 0-0 Birmingham City

Rudy Gestede has the first shot of the night but the Aston Villa man snatches at his effort from outside the box and it trickles wide, harmlessly.

Aston Villa 0-0 Birmingham City

The atmosphere is lively to say the least. The teams exchange brief spells of possession in the early stages.

KICK-OFF

Birmingham, playing in their traditional royal blue kit, get the game going.

Martin O'Connor

former Birmingham captain on BBC WM 95.6

Some of these games are memorable for the wrong reasons. Hopefully tonight's a good game."

The teams are out

We are getting ever closer to the start of this big, big game. The noise around Villa Park is quite something. Both sets of fans are giving it everything.

View from the dugout

Birmingham boss Gary Rowett tells Sky Sports:

"I don't think we're favourites, when we're playing away from home and when a team has spent £55M and we've spent 55 grand, a bag of crisps and a bag of balls.

"We've put an extra man in midfield in David Davis, an extra strength.

"All I can do is pick the team, try to inspire them. I'm looking froward to it. Hopefully it should be a strong, passionate affair this evening. We can go and relax and play our football."

View from the dugout

Aston Villa manager Tim Sherwood tells Sky Sports:

"We want to put some pressure on them from the word go. We want to get the ball forward.

"We know how much this means to the supporters here, and it means a lot to me.

"We will sooner or later get the rub of the green."

Deepak Mahay

BBC Sport at Villa Park

Deepak Mahay

It's a lively atmosphere outside Villa Park as both sets of fans make their way into the ground.

Elsewhere in the League Cup third round

Don't forget, we've got another seven League Cup third round games for you this evening including all Premier League affairs with Sunderland v Manchester City and Leicester v West Ham.

Click here for live text commentary and radio commentary from selected games if that takes your fancy.

Meanwhile, we've got about 10 minutes before things get under way at Villa Park.

Get Involved at #bbcfootball

Past meetings - Birmingham City triumphs

Historically, Birmingham's greatest win over Villa came over two legs, in the 1963 League Cup final, which Blues won 3-1 on aggregate, to lift their first major trophy at the home of their local rivals.

But perhaps their best run of results in the second city derby came in their first three seasons in the Premier League, when Blues won four of their first six Premier League meetings with Villa.

A Peter Enckelman own goal helped then newly-promoted Birmingham win 3-0 at St Andrew's on 16 September 2002, in what was the first game between the sides for nearly 19 years.

Empics

Blues then won 2-0 at Villa Park to complete a famous double, before a last-gasp equaliser from Stern John in a 2-2 draw at Villa Park the following season helped the Blue half of the city keep the bragging rights for a little while longer.  

Past meetings - Aston Villa triumphs

Aston Villa have won six of their last nine meetings with Birmingham.

Arguably their sweetest derby-day win in the Premier League era was a 5-1 thrashing of the Blues on 20 April 2008, including a brace from Ashley Young. Birmingham were relegated just a few weeks later.

Getty Images

Going back a bit, over two legs, Villa beat Birmingham 7-0 on aggregate in this competition in the 1988-89 season, and going back a bit further, enjoyed a 4-0 away over Blues in the old First Division in 1931.

They also won 7-3 at home in 1895 - the highest-scoring encounter between these two teams.

Classic cup tie

The last time these two teams met in the League Cup, in 2010-11, Birmingham City went on to win the trophy.

It was a heated quarter-final on a bitterly cold night at St Andrew's which saw Nikola Zigic's late winner settle a relatively even game.

The match was tarnished by ugly scenes after the final whistle, with both sets of fans throwing items at one another amid what then-Birmingham boss Alex McLeish called a return to the "dark ages" of English football.

Getty Images

Martin O'Connor

former Birmingham captain on BBC WM 95.6

These kinds of games need a strong referee who can stamp down early."

Team news

Birmingham also make three changes to their side, with defender Neal Eardley having dislocated his shoulder in Friday's 1-1 draw at Ipswich.

Paul Caddis comes back in for him at right-back, while the other changes see Jacques Maghoma replace David Cotterill and David Davis comes into midfield instead of Andrew Shinnie.

BBC Sport

Brian Little

ex-Aston Villa player & manager on BBC WM 95.6

Ciaran Clark gives Villa a defensive safety valve. It would have been an ideal substitution at Leicester."

Team news

Aston Villa have made three changes to the side that lost 1-0 at home to West Bromwich Albion at the weekend.

Jack Grealish, Carles Gil and Carlos Sanchez all miss out, with Jordan Veretout, Leandro Bacuna and Rudy Gestede all coming in to the starting team.

BBC

Get Involved

As the build-up to kick-off continues, we want to hear from you.

Please do get in touch and tell us your favourite derby memories, whether it be Gabby Agbonlahor's late header giving Villa victory at St Andrew's or perhaps Birmingham winning at Villa Park after Dion Dublin was sent off.

Get involved using #bbcfootball on Twitter.

Contrasting recent form

Premier League Aston Villa may hold the edge in the head-to-head record, with 51 wins to Birmingham's 38, but it is the Championship side who arrive at tonight's game in the better form in recent months.

Tim Sherwood's Villa have won only one of their last 10 games, going back to the end of last season.

In contrast, Gary Rowett's Blues have won eight of their last 12 matches.

Getty Images

The Battle of Brum

Tonight there is far, far more at stake than a place in the fourth round of the League Cup.

This is Aston Villa against Birmingham City - the first meeting between two of the fiercest rivals in British football for nearly five years.

This is about bragging rights and local pride. Who wants it more?

And with the two teams currently in different divisions, who knows when they will meet again?

Welcome to our live text coverage of the 121st second city derby.

Empics