Aston Villa head to the capital this week to face Tottenham Hotspur in the Women’s Super League. Here’s the latest heading into Sunday’s game at Brisbane Road…
THE BUILD UP
Carla Ward’s side look to bounce back from last weekend’s devastating FA Cup semi-final exit to Chelsea as they are back in league action, gearing up for a trip to a struggling Tottenham Hotspur.
Despite a spirited Villa performance at the Bescot Stadium, it was Emma Hayes’ Blues that would advance through to the final at Wembley, aiming to retain their title against Manchester United. Sam Kerr’s second-half header was the difference on the night and helped the West-London side to a fortnightly double over the claret and blue outfit.
Meanwhile, Spurs were defeated 2-1 by Everton last time out in the WSL. Nicoline Sorensen opened the scoring for the Toffees after just four minutes, firing it home after Isobel Christiansen’s first-time ball through. The Lilywhites responded on the 22 minute mark as Evelina Summanen curled a strike into the bottom corner from range. It would be late heartbreak for the away side, however, as teenager Agnes Beever-Jones bagged a 94th minute winner to secure a big three points for Brian Sรธrensen’s side.
The 2022/23 season has been one to forget for Tottenham Hotspur as they find themselves ninth in the division, just two points off the bottom. Rehanne Skinner was sacked last month following just three wins from 14 league fixtures. Assistant coach Vicky Jepson has since taken interim charge and led Spurs to a vital win over Leicester in her first game.
When these two teams last met, Carla Ward’s side came from behind at the Bescot Stadium to claim all three points. Beth England opened the scoring on her debut for the away side in the 28th minute, firing home Kerys Harrop’s cross. Kenza Dali would level things up minutes later, powering a strike into the bottom corner after nice inter-play in the midfield, before Rachel Daly bagged the winner just four minutes later, side-footing Kirsty Hanson’s pull-back home for 2-1.
Will Villa claim their tenth victory of the season and solidify their place in the top five or will it be Spurs who take all three points to ease their relegation worries?
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TEAM NEWS
ASTON VILLA
Simone Magill looks to make her Aston Villa Women’s debut this weekend after recovering from the devastating ACL injury sustained during the 2022 Euros. The Northern Irish forward made her first match-day squad in nine months during the defeat to Chelsea last week, alongside Remi Allen who also made her long-awaited return to the side.
Magill, who joined from Everton on a free transfer in the summer, will be hoping to find some minutes this weekend as she and her team prepare for another big game in the WSL.
Emily Gielnik is considered a doubt for Aston Villa this weekend, having not featured in the previous four fixtures due to injury – Evie Rabjohn has also been missing of late. The pair were not spotted in training pictures this week and are therefore not expected to make the trip to Brisbane Road.
Elsewhere, Rachel Corsie remains unavailable after suffering a knee injury against Manchester City last month. The Scottish defender required small surgery on the problem and the club confirmed at the end of March that the 33-year-old is ‘being closely monitored’ in hope of returning back to training soon.
TOTTENHAM HOSTPUR
One of those back in contention for Spurs this week is captain Shelina Zadorsky who has not featured for the Lilywhites since the 2-1 defeat against Manchester United in February, but returned to training this week.
The Canadian international has struggled with numerous health problems on the back of contracting COVID late-last year. The 30-year-old defender recently admitted that both her physical and mental health have taken a knock over the last few months, pushing her to a ‘breaking point’, but on the back of her return has revealed that she is ‘eager to fight’ for the team.
Former Villan Ramona Petzelberger is another name who has returned to training this week. Jepson has confirmed that the German midfielder suffered a small set-back however, and is being monitored in the days leading up to Sunday’s game. Ria Percival is also back in first-team training but is not expected to feature until next week when Spurs host Melissa Phillips’ Brighton.
Elsewhere, Ellie Brazil made another step in her recovery by returning to the grass this week. The 24-year-old has been absent since October after tearing her ACL and will not play again this season. Kyah Simon is also unavailable this Sunday after having a ‘flare-up with her calf’ on the back of her respective ACL injury.
Forward Jessia Naz returned to the action at the beginning of the month, fetching 14 minutes during the defeat away at Everton, having not featured since the reverse fixture at Brisbane Road in December due to injury.
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PREDICTED LINE-UP
Letโs take a look at my predicted line-up for this upcoming fixtureโฆ
Do you agree? Who makes your side? Share yours now and let’s discuss?
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AUTHOR | LIAM DAVIES
Authorโs UTV PODCAST archive Liam Davies – UTV Podcast | An Aston Villa Blog
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