Bournemouth Soars Past Villa, Sunderland Survives Brentford Scare

Bournemouth is on fire, cruising to a 3-0 victory over Aston Villa and securing a spot in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals for the first time in eight years. Meanwhile, Sunderland managed to fend off a late Brentford comeback to win 3-2 at the Stadium of Light. The Cherries wasted no time, with winger Amine Adli finding the net just seven minutes in at the Vitality Stadium. Captain Lewis Cook added a second shortly after halftime, and Álvaro Rodríguez capped off the night with another goal, marking Bournemouth’s fifth consecutive win across all competitions. Aston Villa, a five-time League Cup champion, struggled to find their rhythm and suffered their first defeat in eight matches. The visitors had a few chances through Taylor Harwood-Bellis and substitutes Alejandro Garnacho and Alysson, but Bournemouth's defense stood strong, achieving their fifth clean sheet in a row. Both teams made significant changes for this knockout clash. Adli, one of eight changes by Bournemouth head coach Marco Rose, opened the scoring with a well-placed shot. After a delightful ball from James Tavernier, Julio Soler set up Adli, who made no mistake from close range. Villa's unfamiliar lineup had a tough time creating chances early on, with only a spectacular save from goalkeeper Marco Bizot keeping the scoreline respectable as he denied Ben Gannon-Doak. As the second half kicked off, Bournemouth's momentum continued. Despite Villa's efforts to defend, Cook's crafty corner caught Bizot off guard, sneaking in at the near post to double the lead. João Gomes had a chance to reduce the deficit but was thwarted by Bournemouth's Michele Di Gregorio. Villa's Harwood-Bellis nearly converted with a header, but it was all too late. Rodríguez sealed the deal in the 69th minute, firing home after intercepting a sloppy pass. Brentford’s late efforts included a near miss from Garnacho and a header from Alysson that went wide, but Bournemouth held firm, setting up a quarter-final clash with Liverpool. Over at the Stadium of Light, Sunderland’s Chemsdine Talbi, Timur Tutierov, and Malick Fofana each found the back of the net in a thrilling 3-2 win against Brentford. Winger Jocelin Ta Bi was pivotal, assisting all three goals for Régis Le Bris’s revamped squad. Brentford fought back quickly, with Callum Wilson scoring just three minutes after Sunderland’s third goal. The Bees had their chances, including a close header from Igor Thiago, but Sunderland's defense held strong. Despite a frantic finish with Brentford pushing hard, including a late goal from Thiago that made it 3-2, Sunderland clung on to secure their place in the last eight for the first time in five years. The Black Cats will now head to Crystal Palace for their quarter-final match.