The results of the third-round draw are in, and there's no other way to say it; what a horrible, horrible draw. Aston Villa will travel to the Etihad to take on Manchester City in the Capital One Cup. In a season where Villa could probably use the confidence often inspired by a cup run, Villa will need to pull off a massive upset if they hope to make it past the stage of their elimination last season.

If there's good news, it's that it's early enough in the competition that City are likely to play a full second-team squad. Unfortunately, City's second team would likely finish in the top six of the Premier League. There's no positive spin to this one; what a horrendous bit of luck. Hopefully things will go a bit better once the FA Cup gets underway.