Aston Villa hosted WSL reigning champions Chelsea at the Bescot Stadium, with the hopes of turning around a difficult start to the season.
Carla Ward’s team selection resembled that of last season, with Hanson returning to the attack after her suspension. Ward opted to start with Alisha Lehmann over summer signings Adriana Leon and Ebony Salmon. Interestingly, club captain Rachel Corsie was moved to the bench, and Rachel Daly took the armband.
In the first two minutes, Jordan Nobbs looked for Rachel Daly in the penalty box with a dangerous ball from the left, but a defensive header took it out for a corner. The resulting corner was the usual promising delivery from Staniforth, but no one was able to make contact.
Chelsea came close to an opener in the 7th minute, but van Domselaar made herself big enough to stop the close-range shot, following a smooth setup by Fran Kirby. Just two minutes later, Kirby found space to make an attempt on goal herself, but her shot hit the bar.
The opening stages of the game were evenly balanced, with both teams having chances. Another opportunity fell to Daly in the 17th minute when Hanson’s cross was deflected towards her, but the chance came quickly and at a difficult height, causing her volley to fly over the bar.
After 21 minutes, Chelsea broke the deadlock. Mia Fischel’s header was cleared off the line by Daly, but Millie Bright stood ready to finish off the chance.
Chelsea were inspired by the goal, and momentum swung dramatically in their favour. It became difficult for Villa to get out of their own half, facing relentless attacks from the visitors. The second goal came in the 26th minute, from a similarly frustrating run of play. This time, it was Dan Turner who headed it off the line, and Fran Kirby scored from the clearance.
The game remained in Chelsea’s control, but halftime arrived with the score line still at 2-0.
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Jordan Nobbs forced a save from Ann-Katrin Berger early on in the second half, but from a tight angle, she could not properly test the Chelsea keeper. Soon after, Johanna Rytting Kaneryd scored her first goal for the Blues, extending their lead. The midfielder found the ball at her feet at the halfway line and made an unstoppable run towards the goal, choosing to shoot herself rather than pass to Kirby. She found the far corner of the net.
Just past the hour mark, Ashley Lawrence also scored her first goal for the club. Jessie Fleming kept the ball in play at the goal line and neatly picked out Lawrence, who was unmarked in the center of the box.
A few minutes later, Aggie Beever-Jones joined the scorers with her own solo run and finish from the left wing into the bottom right corner. Finally, Niamh Charles brought the tally up to six by escaping her defender and capitalizing on a poor clearance within the penalty area.
Although this fixture was always going to be a challenge, the score line and second-half performance were still hugely disappointing. Questions are starting to be asked about how to kickstart this season, but long-standing fans have expressed their support for Ward, and importantly, so have the players. Pressure is undoubtedly growing, but with matches against Chelsea, Arsenal, and Manchester United now behind us, the upcoming games should provide an opportunity to turn things around. We also have league cup games to look forward to, starting with Sheffield United on Wednesday.
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TEAMS
Aston Villa Women: van Domselaar, Mayling, Patten, Turner, Pacheco, Nobbs (Corsie 71′), Staniforth (McLoughlin 80′), Blindkilde Brown, Lehmann (Salmon 70′), Daly, Hanson
Subs: Corsie, McLoughlin, Salmon, Mullett, Leat, Leon
Chelsea Women: Berger, Périsset (Mjelde 78′), Bright (Buchanan 78′), Carter, Rytting Kaneryd, Nüsken, Cuthbert (Cankovic 64′), Charles, Kirby (Lawrence 58′), Fishel (Beever-Jones 58′), Fleming
Subs: Musovic, Nouwen, Ingle, Lawrence, Mjelde, Kerr, Buchanan, Cankovic, Beever-Jones
AUTHOR | GEORGIA HOMER
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Author’s UTV PODCAST archive Georgia Homer
Thumbnail Media Credit: avfc.co.uk
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Villa Bellas is the Official AVFC Women’s Network. In an unequal and often unrelenting world we work to break down barriers for equality.
Our network aims to raise the voice of women and non-binary people at @AVFCOfficial We support inclusion & diversity and with our allies, we can challenge sexism and misogyny, creating a safe and welcoming environment for the fans in the stands and the women on the pitch.
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