The two competitions could barely be further apart in profile but Premier League clubs' involvement makes it possible
Emiliano Buendia scored twice against Fleetwood on his competitive return for Aston Villa(Image credit: Getty Images)
The Autoglass, the Johnstone's Paint, the Papa Johns, or - as it is at the moment - the Bristol Street Motors Trophy...however you know it, you'll know that the EFL Trophy as the lower-league cup competition that even League One and League Two clubs tend not to take terribly seriously.
That has only amplified since the unpopular decision to admit Premier League under-21s sides into the competition from 2016 onwards...which has also had the weird side effect of allowing some really big-name players to take on tier three and four second-string line-ups.
That's what happened at Highbury Stadium when Aston Villa's academy travelled to Fleetwood Town on Tuesday evening, with two of Villa's goals in a 3-2 victory scored by none other than Argentina international Emiliano Buendia.
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Emiliano Buendia scores twice in Aston Villa EFL Trophy victory
The 27 year old was picked as one of Villa U21s' two permitted over-age players for the group stage game at Fleetwood, alongside summer signing Ross Barkley.
Buendia had not played a competitive game since May last year after suffering a knee ligament injury just before the beginning of last season, but featured in Villa's pre-season friendlies as he works his way back up to match fitness.
After being an unused substitute in each of Villa's Premier League games so far, the playmaker finally got 77 competitive minutes under his belt, giving Villa a two-goal lead to take into half time.
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Fleetwood Town v Aston Villa U21 highlights - YouTube
Fleetwood hit back through a quickfire double from Ronan Coughlan and Mipo Odubeko in the second half, before the man who replaced Buendia - Kyrie Pierre - struck a late winner.
Villa boss Unai Emery spoke in the summer about his delight at having Buendia back available for selection, saying after a pre-season friendly: " The best news is his comeback - Emiliano Buendia’s comeback after one year.
“We are happy with his return and we have to work now with him trying to get the best of him progressively."
Steven Chicken has been working as a football writer since 2009, taking in stints with Football365 and the Huddersfield Examiner. Steven still covers Huddersfield Town home and away for his own publication, WeAreTerriers.com. Steven is a two-time nominee for Regional Journalist of the Year at the prestigious British Sports Journalism Awards, making the shortlist in 2020 and 2023.
