Aston Villa Women's next fixture is a WSL Cup group stage match away to Burnley Women this Wednesday, 21 October. The game kicks off at 7pm local time at Turf Moor, offering the side a chance to extend the positive momentum from their last league outing.
Aston Villa Women head into the cup tie on the back of a 2-1 home victory over Liverpool Women last Saturday. That result ended a run of four league games without a win and lifted the team to 10th place in the FA Women's Super League table. They have six points from six matches this season, having scored six goals and conceded twelve. Their recent form shows a mixed bag, with three wins, one draw, and one loss in their last five games across all competitions.
Chasity Grant, who started in the win over Liverpool, scored the equaliser in the 62nd minute, assisted by goalkeeper Akane Okuma. The winning goal came from a Grace Fisk own goal ten minutes later. The team's last starting lineup featured a 3-4-2-1 formation with Okuma in goal, a back three of Patten, Harviken, and Deslandes, and an attacking trio of Grant, Noelle Maritz, and Lily Murphy.
Burnley Women, who compete in the Women's Championship, the second tier of English football, currently sit in seventh place in their league. They have won one, drawn one, and lost three of their opening five league fixtures. In the WSL Cup, they were defeated 3-0 by Manchester City Women in their opening group game. Burnley's squad includes experienced defender Danielle Lea and forward Keira Barry, who is their top scorer in the league so far this campaign.
The match at Turf Moor is Aston Villa's second game in the group stage of the competition, following a 1-0 victory over London City Lionesses earlier this month. The WSL Cup format sees the 12 Women's Super League teams joined by four Championship sides, divided into four groups. Only the group winners progress to the semi-finals.
Following the midweek cup fixture, attention quickly returns to the league. Aston Villa Women's next WSL assignment is a trip to face Everton Women, who currently sit sixth, on Sunday, 25 October. A positive result at Turf Moor would provide a valuable confidence boost ahead of that challenging away league encounter.
