Soccer:An eye-catching West Midlands derby between bitter rivals Birmingham and Aston Villa was the standout tie in today's draw for the quarter-finals of the Carling Cup.
Just 24 hours before the two sides meet in the Barclays Premier League, Alex McLeish’s Birmingham landed a home tie against city rivals Villa, who reached the final of the competition 12 months ago.
The Blues made hard work of reaching the last eight, narrowly overcoming League One outfit Brentford on penalties, while Gerard Houllier’s Villa needed Stewart Downing’s stunning strike to see off Championship side Burnley after extra time.
Holders Manchester United, who defeated Wolves in the last round, will continue their bid for a third successive Carling Cup win against West Ham at Upton Park.
Arsenal’s reward for their emphatic 4-0 triumph at Newcastle is a last-eight encounter with 2006 finalists Wigan, while Ipswich, the only side from outside the top flight remaining in the competition, will aim to secure a semi-final berth at the expense of West Brom.
The quarter-final ties will be played in the week beginning November 29th.
Carling Cup Draw
Arsenal v Wigan
Birmingham v Aston Villa
West Ham v Manchester United
Ipswich v West Brom