Aston Villa goalkeeper Brad Guzan was the penalty hero as Martin O'Neill's men reached the League Cup quarterfinals with a 3-1 shoot-out win over Sunderland after a goalless draw at the Stadium of Light.

Guzan was offered a rare chance to seize the spotlight as he stood in for rested Brad Friedel and the American rose to the occasion, saving Kenwyne Jones' late penalty to take the game into extra-time and then keeping out three of Sunderland's four shoot-out efforts.

England international Emile Heskey, who recently voiced his concern that a lack of first-team opportunities may hamper his World Cup ambitions, almost marked his first Villa start in two months with a second-minute opener.

Gabriel Agbonlahor escaped down the right and his low cross was cleverly flicked towards goal by Heskey, only for the ball to narrowly miss the far post.

Guzan made his first contribution when he produced a superb stop to deny Sunderland youngster Jordan Henderson.

Villa improved at the start of the second period with James Milner making an impact.

Milner, booed by the home crowd as a former Newcastle player, almost created the opening goal with a powerful surge down the right but his low driven cross was just ahead of Heskey in the middle.

Sunderland were handed the chance to make the breakthrough after 83 minutes when Carlos Cuellar was harshly adjudged to have handled Andy Reid's cross, but Jones' low spot-kick was weak and Guzan saved down to his left.

Black Cats midfielder Kieran Richardson passed up a golden chance to win it in the last minute of extra-time when he shot straight at Guzan.

And with Reid, Lorik Cana and Henderson all missing in the shoot-out, there was no way back for Sunderland as Young showed them how to do it by dispatching the winning spot kick.