After last week’s penalties heroics in the Conti Cup, Aston Villa returned to the WSL with an away fixture against Tottenham Hotspur.
Carla Ward was restricted by another notable absentee in Rachel Daly through suspension and Kenza Dali was limited to the bench due to injury. Jordan Nobbs started again in midfield and Simone Magill led the line.
Villa started with a couple of promising attacks, down the right wing in particular. Alisha Lehmann reached the byline but her cutbacks could not reach the right players, and soon Anna Patten was called into action to make a crucial tackle at the other end.
Head of WSL Content: Georgia Homer
Tottenham’s first big chance came in the 9th minute, when a cross from Charlotte Grant was met by Martha Thomas, but the striker’s header was off target.
Responding, Villa began finding some joy down the left side with Kirsty Hanson making her trademark runs. Hanson created several moments, one cross that was turned away for a corner, and another reached Adriana Leon who shot wide.
Quickly after, in the 23rd minute, Adriana Leon faced goal again and this time she found the back of the net. Leon received a pass from Simone Magill and carried the ball through midfield, drawing in defending players and somehow finding space to poke the shot past Barbora Votíková.
Hanson, Corsie, and Leon each had chances to put Villa further ahead, but it was Spurs who scored next. The equaliser came in the 38th minute through a set piece. Eveliina Summanen took the free kick after a foul on Clinton, and Amy James-Turner headed past van Domselaar from close range.
Villa looked to get back in front before the break, with a free kick of our own in the 43rd minute. Jordan Nobbs took aim from around 30 yards, but the shot was saved comfortably. Another chance fell seconds before the whistle, when Leon’s shot was saved high and the defender hooked it away.
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Early into the second half, Beth England snatched at a chance when Patten showed too much of the ball. England stole possession and attempted to catch van Domselaar off guard with a quickly-taken lob, but the ambitious shot was wide. Martha Thomas tested van Domselaar again shortly afterwards, when she was through on goal but the keeper came out confidently to make the save.
The moment of the match came on the hour mark, when a Villa corner was cleared as far as Maz Pacheco. Pacheco rolled the ball towards Jordan Nobbs, who hit a special strike into the top right corner from outside of the box and Villa were back ahead.
Kenza Dali was introduced soon after Villa’s second goal, able to play the final 30 minutes. She joined Nobbs in midfield, and would have claimed the assist for another powerful hit, but this time Nobbs rattled the crossbar in the 72nd minute.
Tottenham made a quadruple substitution as they chased the game, and Ward brought on three players herself towards the final minutes. Miri Taylor entered the field for her Villa debut, alongside Dan Turner and Georgia Mullett.
Jordan Nobbs’ impressive finish ended up the winning goal and Aston Villa left North London with three more points on the board. Still 8th, Sunday’s victory is significant for its performance without key players and the 10-point cushion now between Villa and Bristol City in 12th. Other players stepped up in Daly’s absence, Jordan Nobbs in particular, and Villa fans now find themselves looking up the table.
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AUTHOR | GEORGIA HOMER
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One Response
Great win, ladies. Let’s hope the men’s team repeats this win in a few weeks!!
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