Luton Town beat Aston Villa 3 - 1

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Aston Villa are dumped out by Luton Town .


Aston Villa will have more time and energy to focus on their Sky Bet Championship promotion bid after making an early exit from the EFL Cup.

Earlier on Wednesday the recently relegated club's new owner Dr Tony Xia revealed his mission to lead Villa to European dominance in five years' time, and he will have been left unimpressed by their first advance as Roberto Di Matteo's men responded by losing 3-1 at Luton in the first round of the League Cup.

The results means Villa, beaten by Sheffield Wednesday in their league opener, will be absent from the second-round draw for the first time in years.

Jordan Ayew's 13th-minute opener put Villa on the right track at Kenilworth Road but Luton were level by half-time as Jake Gray fired home a stunning strike in the 35th minute.

Cameron McGeehan boosted the Hatters into the lead eight minutes from close range after the restart, leaving Jores Okore to compound Villa's misery with a 66th-minute own goal - his poor attempt to clear the ball following a short corner found the inside of Mark Bunn's near post.

Leeds, who also harbour Premier League ambitions, risked going in the same direction as Villa but instead survived in the League Cup thanks to a late Marcus Antonsson equaliser and a penalty shoot-out victory at Fleetwood.

On a night which saw Cod Army boss Uwe Rosler welcome his former employers to the Highbury Stadium, home spirits were high when Aaron Amadi-Holloway put Leeds on the back foot with a 13th-minute opener. It look the Yorkshire side until the 89th minute to force extra-time through substitute Antonsson.

Chris Wood and Ashley Hunter exchanged goals in the added 30 minutes to make it 2-2, with Eggert Jonsson missing his spot-kick to send Leeds through.

QPR also needed penalties to progress after being held to a 2-2 draw by Swindon at Loftus Road.

New Rs signing Yeni Ngbakoto saw his second-half goal cancelled out by sub Jordan Stewart and in extra-time James Brophy replied to Conor Washington's strike before the hosts clinched a 4-2 win on spot-kicks.

Burton went the distance in their meeting with Bury but there was no need for a shoot-out at the Pirelli Stadium.

Brewers midfielder Callum Reilly notched first, with Tom Pope responding to take the game beyond 90 minutes. Stuart Beavon and Calum Butcher then put Burton out of reach, leaving Niall Maher to grab a late consolation for David Flitcroft's Shakers