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View: Jordan Nobbs fires timely England selection message after hat-trick for Aston Villa women
Jordan Nobbs has fired a selection statement of intent to Lioness manager Sarina Wiegman after netting a superb hat-trick in Aston Villa women’s 6-2 win against Brighton on Sunday (12 February).
After initially missing out on the 26-player England squad for the upcoming Arnold Clark Cup, Nobbs was later announced as an injury replacement for Fran Kirby – and has now raised her hand for a spot in the starting lineup.
The 30-year-old was in irresistible form against the Seagulls as she netted her first goals since joining the club from Arsenal in the January transfer window.
She will now be in the mix with the likes of Georgia Stanway, Ella Toone and Keira Walsh for a spot in the middle of the park for England and will hope to feature against both South Korea and Italy.
Since arriving at Aston Villa last month, Nobbs has simply transformed Ward’s midfield with her ability to dictate the tempo of the match with her wide range of passing. However, it was her attacking instincts that were on full show against Brighton, as she made a number of late surges into the final third, which the opposition defence simply couldn’t pick up on.
Following an uninspiring 1-1 draw against the same opponents just eight days previously, Villa – but more so Noobs – highlighted their attacking superiority at the Broadfield Stadium on Sunday.
Once Ward’s side had shrugged off an opening concession to Brighton midfielder Julia Zigottis Olme’s through the well-worked goals of Lucy Staniforth and Kirsty Hanson, the former Arsenal player stole the headlines.
After Hanson was given far too much space down the left flank to tee up Nobbs, she lashed the ball beyond Lydia Williams at the first time of asking. She doubled her individual tally and made it five for Villa just before the break as she scuffed a volley into the back of the net.
The midfielder saved the best till last, though, as she took Kenza Dali’s pass from around 30 yards away before unleashing a stunning strike into the top corner.
Nobbs quite deservedly ended up taking the ball home and will now head into the England training camp full of confidence that she can stake her claim for a starting spot.
In other Aston Villa news, the club are set to revive interest in an Athletic Bilbao player in the summer after a failed January swoop.