Tammy Abraham struck twice as Aston Villa swept past Coventry City 3-1 at the Coventry Building Society Arena on Wednesday, booking their place in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup.

Abraham broke the deadlock in the 7th minute, racing clear to give Unai Emery's side an early advantage — only their second domestic goal of the season. Coventry hit back almost immediately, however, as Victor Torp curled a stunning free-kick into the top-right corner to level proceedings in the 27th minute.

Barkley and Mbaye set the tone

Villa restored their lead just before half-time through Ross Barkley, whose glancing header from an Ibrahim Mbaye corner found the net in the 40th minute. The 18-year-old Mbaye, who joined the club for £47 million from Paris Saint-Germain this summer, was making his first start for Villa and impressed throughout.

Abraham then put the result beyond doubt shortly after the hour mark, converting a simple close-range finish in the 59th minute to complete his brace. The striker, who had attracted interest from other clubs before the summer Deadline Day but chose to remain at Villa Park, showed exactly why Emery kept faith in him.

A historic occasion with added weight

The fixture was the first competitive meeting between the two clubs since 2001, when a 3-2 Villa victory sent Coventry — then known as the Sky Blues — down from the Premier League. Wednesday's defeat adds further pressure on manager Frank Lampard, whose side have managed just one win from their opening five games this season.

Coventry will now need to find their first Premier League goal as a returned top-flight side when they host Nottingham Forest, live on Saturday Night Football, in what promises to be a critical test of their survival credentials.