Aston Villa Women host Manchester United Women in the Women's Super League this Saturday, 7 November, at Bescot Stadium.
Their recent form is strong, with three wins and two draws in their last five outings across all competitions.
Aston Villa Women are on a five-match unbeaten streak. Their last result was a 1-1 draw away to Arsenal last weekend, where Chasity Grant scored a 25th-minute equaliser. Before that, they drew 1-1 with Birmingham City in the WSL Cup and secured league wins over Everton, Liverpool, and Crystal Palace. The victory over Liverpool was a 2-1 result, while the wins against Everton and Crystal Palace were both by a 1-0 margin.
The Villans are expected to stick with the 3-4-2-1 formation used against Arsenal. That lineup featured Akane Okuma in goal, with a back three of Patten, Marit Bratberg Lund, and Deslandes. Lynn Wilms and Maritz operated as wing-backs, with Kielland and Jean-François in midfield. Chasity Grant and Kendall supported striker A. Vangsgaard, who is the team's top scorer this season with three goals. Defender Deslandes is the only confirmed absentee for the home side due to a minor knee issue.
Manchester United, currently fifth, will likely deploy a 4-2-3-1 shape. Their last starting XI included goalkeeper Tullis-Joyce, defenders Lundkvist, Le Tissier, Janssen, and Sandberg, with midfielders Olme and Miyazawa. Jessica Park, Toone, and Andrea Medina supported striker Elisabeth Terland. United are looking to bounce back from a 3-1 defeat to Manchester City in their last WSL outing and have key forward Leah Galton available after she missed that match through illness.
This fixture is a chance for Aston Villa to climb the standings and close the gap on the teams above them. Their next match after this is another home fixture, details of which are on our fixtures page. The team will be aiming to build on the momentum from their solid recent performances. A win could see them move up to seventh, depending on other results.
