Aston Villa vie for revenge after **Brentford**beat them 1-0 in their first away day of the Premier League campaign. The Carabao Cup is a different scene that Tyrone Mings is "looking forward" to on Tuesday evening as his team try to put a line through a slow start to their season once and for all.
‘Cup competitions add something different’
Mings is embracing the chance to switch focus from the week-to-week grind of the Premier League.
“Really looking forward to it. I think every competition adds something different.”
The Villans are scoreless in their four Premier League outings and are the only outfit in the top seven divisions of English football to be in such a state this season. They could do with a confidence boost.
“Our bread and butter is 38 games in the Premier League and trying to finish as high as possible, but the cup competitions definitely add something different.”
The unique challenge of cup competitions can bring the best out of a group. Villa have reached the final four of the **FA Cup**and Conference League as well as the Champions League quarter-finals in the last one and a half years, only bowing out to the eventual winners of all three competitions.
“You’ve seen from the Conference League run and the Champions League run, what it does to the fans and how it gives you something slightly different from the league. European games at Villa Park are special. European away games are equally as special, so we’re looking forward to that.”
‘I have the same drive and determination’
Mings also remembers the run to the 2020 Carabao Cup final against **Man City**in his first full season in the Midlands. He would love to replicate that feat with the team and go one step further.
“We had relative success getting to the Carabao Cup final a number of years ago, so we want to try and go as far in these competitions as possible, and the FA Cup will add to that in January. Hopefully, we can go far in as many different competitions as possible, and silverware has to be the goal.”
The former club captain is one of the stalwarts of the squad and has not lost his love for the fight.
“I have the same drive and determination as the first time I spoke about what I want to achieve on loan. It was a very easy decision to sign a new contract. It was a very easy decision to stay here.”
The defender signed a new deal with the club in June, and he has one target to achieve on his mind.
“I love all of it – (I’m) here for the challenge, and I’m definitely aligned with the other players that have been here for a long time now, that silverware is the next goal.”