Despite the fact that our 5th place finish was confirmed, Carla Ward and Aston Villa travelled to Meadow Park determined to win another 3 points. There were still things to aim for – Rachel Daly was leading the golden boot race and the club had the opportunity to achieve their first league win against Arsenal in the WSL.
Next season’s target will surely be to close the gap on the top 4 teams, and this game was the perfect chance to move towards that goal.
Villa’s bench looked alarmingly short again, with just 3 players in reserve compared to Arsenal’s 9. Kenza Dali and Jordan Nobbs were both missing from the starting lineup, as well as Anna Patten who was unavailable to play against her parent club. Laura Blindkilde and Rachel Corsie stepped in, along with Remi Allen who played her final game for the club following the announcement of her departure last week.
The first half was a mostly defensive performance for Villa, with several big chances for the home side. An early move started with Rafaelle to Catley on the left wing, who found Blakstenius at the near post. The striker flicked the ball over to Katie McCabe, just inches away from the goalline, but Maz Pacheco was there to shield the ball and keep it out.
Another moment for the Gunners came from Villa playing out from the back; Laura Blindkilde was pushed off the ball by Leonhardsen Maanum in the 38th minute, who pounced and ran towards goal to fire her shot away. Hannah Hampton made a smart save at her near post to stop the ball reaching the far corner, and the match remained level.
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During injury time before the break, Villa capitalised from a set piece. Lucy Staniforth’s corners have become an increasingly useful weapon for Villa across the season and this time the midfielder sent the ball deep into the crowded penalty area. Remi Allen managed a shot but it was blocked and fell back to the feet of Rachel Daly, who tucked away her 22nd league goal of the season, levelling her with Vivianne Miedema’s WSL record.
Just a few minutes into the second half, Alisha Lehmann doubled Aston Villa’s lead. Hanson’s cross from the left wing found its way back to Lehmann in the middle of the box, and the winger instinctively swung at it and found the back of the net, nutmegging a defender and the goalkeeper in the process.
Daly had the opportunity to break the league record in the 53rd minute, when Hanson caught out Wubben-Moy in Arsenal’s half. Daly took the shot quickly, but not before Wubben-Moy recovered and blocked her attempt.
Hanson also created a brilliant chance for herself after Hampton’s goal kick was headed down by a defender into the middle of the park. Hanson jumped onto the loose ball and drove towards goal and forced D’Angelo to make the save in the 8th minute of injury time.
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Aston Villa’s season ends with an impressive final day victory against Arsenal, a game that feels incredibly different to the exact same fixture two years ago, when Villa saw out a goalless draw at Meadow Park to secure survival on the final day. With 11 changes to the starting lineup, over double the amount of possession, and 6 shots on target compared to 2021’s zero, the club’s rapid progress is clear to see.
Aston Villa close this chapter with a club record number of wins and goals, a golden boot winner and WSL player of the season in Rachel Daly, and our highest WSL standing so far. Carla Ward is deservedly nominated for WSL manager of the season and recently signed a new contract to remain with the club until 2025, with an option of a further year.
Remi Allen, Emily Gielnik, Chantelle Boye-Hlorkah, Ruesha Littlejohn and Tash Harding have been confirmed by the club to be moving on this summer, so Villa are going to have another busy window. Ward has made her intentions clear regarding Kirsty Hanson and fans are keen to keep Anna Patten, but there will also be room for a number of exciting new recruits.
Could next season see us go one step further and reach a cup final or break into the top 4?
AUTHOR | GEORGIA HOMER
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Author’s UTV PODCAST archive Georgia Homer
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