Football: Wednesday's Carling Cup and Premier League matches

With Aston Villa leading 1-0 from the first leg and only needing a draw from tonight's match against Blackburn, things get off to a bad start for Martin O'Neill's team ... After just 10 minutes, David Dunn swings a corner in from the left and Brad Guzan in the Villa goal flaps aimlessly at the ball, allowing Nikola Kalinic to leap above Stephen Warnock and head the ball in off the former Rovers full-back. That early goal has set this match up nicely ... Photograph: Scott Heavey/Action Images Photograph: Scott Heavey/guardian.co.uk Nikola Kalinic threatens again but this time his shot is blocked by Villa's James Collins Photograph: David Davies/PA Photograph: David Davies/guardian.co.uk Kalinic is having a blinding start to the game. He plays a reverse pass to Morten Gamst Pedersen, whose pinpoint cross is headed goalwards by Olsson. The keeper only pushes the ball out to Kalinic and the Croatian scores again Photograph: Neal Simpson/Empics Sport Photograph: Neal Simpson/guardian.co.uk Just three minutes later, Warnock pulls one back for Villa and, 10 minutes after that, Gabriel Agbonlahor is brought down by Christopher Samba in the box. It's a clumsy challenge and results in a penalty, which gives Villa a chance to draw level on the night and go back ahead on aggregate Photograph: Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images Photograph: Laurence Griffiths/guardian.co.uk To make things worse, the referee, Mark Atkinson, shows Samba a red card and Blackburn are down to ten men Photograph: Darren Staples/Reuters Photograph: Darren Staples/guardian.co.uk James Milner slots home the resulting penalty and it's 2-2 on the night, 3-2 to Villa on aggregate... Photograph: Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images Photograph: Laurence Griffiths/guardian.co.uk He celebrates in front of the joyous Villa fans Photograph: Scott Heavey/Action Images Photograph: Scott Heavey/guardian.co.uk In the 53rd minute, Villa's manager Martin O'Neill jumps for joys as Richard Dunne bundles the ball into the net, via the helpless Nzonzi, to give his side the lead for the first time in the game Photograph: Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images Photograph: Laurence Griffiths/guardian.co.uk Agbonlahor makes it 4-2 before Emile Heskey, above, rounds Blackburn goalkeeper Paul Robinson to add a fifth. Olsson quickly responds for Blackburn to make it 5-3 Photograph: David Davies/PA Photograph: David Davies/guardian.co.uk Six minutes from time, Brett Emerton sets up a frantic finale when his hook back into the box wrong-foots the Aston Villa defence and it ends up in the net, making it 5-4 Photograph: Neal Simpson/Empics Sport Photograph: Neal Simpson/guardian.co.uk Blackburn's manager Sam Allardyce seems to realise that despite his side's brief rally, the tie is beyond them and his dream of a third visit to Wembley will have to wait Photograph: Ian Kington/AFP/Getty Images Photograph: Ian Kington/guardian.co.uk During injury time, Ashley Young uses Emile Heskey as a decoy as he scurries up the left wing before cutting inside twice and curling the ball around Paul Robinson's fingertips to make it 6-4. It was a fittingly classy finish to a thoroughly entertaining match Photograph: Scott Heavey/Action Images Photograph: Scott Heavey/guardian.co.uk The Aston Villa fans cheer their team as they know they'll be going to Wembley for the final Photograph: Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images Photograph: Laurence Griffiths/guardian.co.uk As well as celebrating in the stands, ecstatic Villa fans ran on to the pitch. Eventually they are escorted off by some equally happy stewards Photograph: Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images Photograph: Laurence Griffiths/guardian.co.uk An Arsenal victory would see them go top of the Premier League but it seems that Bolton haven't read the script as, after only seven minutes, Gary Cahill slots home a left foot shot to give the visitors the lead. Things get worse for the Gunners after 28 minutes when Matthew Taylor scores a penalty to double Bolton's lead Photograph: Joe Giddens/Empics Sport Photograph: Joe Giddens/guardian.co.uk Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas skips past Gary Cahill's lunge Photograph: Tom Hevezi/AP Photograph: Tom Hevezi/guardian.co.uk Arsenal start their fightback just before half-time as Tomas Rosicky fires in a shot from the edge of the box to halve the home side's deficit Photograph: Eddie Keogh/Reuters Photograph: Eddie Keogh/guardian.co.uk Arsenal are able to keep their momentum going after half time and in the 53rd minute Fabregas scores from close range to make it 2-2 ... Photograph: Gerry Penny/EPA Photograph: Gerry Penny/guardian.co.uk ... which he celebrates in his usual manner Photograph: Joe Giddens/Empics Sport Photograph: Joe Giddens/guardian.co.uk As Fabregas celebrates, Bolton's players and the referee go over to check on Mark Davies who lies injured on the ground after being tackled by William Gallas in the build-up to the goal. Davies was subsequently stretchered off Photograph: Rebecca Naden/PA Photograph: Rebecca Naden/guardian.co.uk Arsenal's defenders are also getting in on the scoring - Thomas Vermaelen makes it 3-2 Photograph: Glyn Kirk/AFP/Getty Images Photograph: Glyn Kirk/guardian.co.uk Five minutes from time, Andrey Arshavin finds himself eight yards out and smashes the ball past Jussi Jaaskelainen. It's 4-2 and Arsenal, thanks to the two-goal winning margin, move to the top of the league table above Chelsea Photograph: Glyn Kirk/AFP/Getty Images Photograph: Glyn Kirk/guardian.co.uk Meanwhile, at Anfield the Liverpool fans are still behind their manager despite their recent troubles Photograph: Tim Hales/AP Photograph: Tim Hales/guardian.co.uk With Rafael Benítez having said this is a must-win game for Liverpool, his side will need to make their presence felt from the off ... Jamie Carragher does just that on Spurs' Niko Kranjcar Photograph: Peter Byrne/PA Photograph: Peter Byrne/guardian.co.uk It's not just Carragher who seems to have taken Benítez's words on board ... After only six minutes Alberto Aquilani chests down a punt from Pepe Reina and then holds the ball up as Dirk Kuyt runs past him towards the Tottenham penalty area. The Italian then prods the ball towards Kuyt, who finds the bottom right-hand corner to give Liverpool the lead Photograph: Alex Livesey/Getty Images Photograph: Alex Livesey/guardian.co.uk Javier Mascherano battles for the ball with Jermain Defoe and Jermaine Jenas Photograph: Peter Byrne/PA Photograph: Peter Byrne/guardian.co.uk This time it is Tottenham who are putting themselves about with Jermaine Jenas getting a booking for this challenge on Philipp Degen Photograph: Alex Livesey/Getty Images Photograph: Alex Livesey/guardian.co.uk Two minutes into the second half and Tottenham think they are back in the game when Defoe robs the ball off Pepe Reina following Sotirios Kyrgiakos' back-pass and slots the ball into the empty net. However, the goal is ruled out for offside as Defoe was lingering behind the line of defence when the initial through ball was played Photograph: Phil Noble/Reuters Photograph: Phil Noble/guardian.co.uk Peter Crouch skilfully controls the ball on his chest despite the close attentions of Martin Skrtel Photograph: Alex Livesey/Getty Images Photograph: Alex Livesey/guardian.co.uk Sebastian Bassong attempts to plead his innocence after his clumsy challenge on David N'gog just inside the area leads to a late penalty for Liverpool ... Photograph: Ed Sykes/Action Images Photograph: Ed Sykes/guardian.co.uk ... which Dirk Kuyt converts twice in succession after Howard Webb ordered a re-take due to encroachment from surrounding players. The 2-0 win, with both goals from the Dutch striker, moves Liverpool up into sixth in the table, one point behind Spurs Photograph: Mike Egerton/Empics Sport Photograph: Mike Egerton/guardian.co.uk