Jonty Banks

Thu 2 March 2023 21:30, UK

Confidence is high at Aston Villa right now, but Carla Ward will be tempted to freshen up her starting line-up against Everton on Sunday after their Women’s FA Cup marathon last week.

The Villans edged out West Ham in the fifth round of the cup competition last Sunday (26 February) on penalties and will return to Women’s Super League action with a bounce in their step.

The trip to Merseyside provides Aston Villa with the opportunity to draw even further clear of Everton, who currently sit sixth in the league and a point behind the West Midlands outfit.

In goal, Hannah Hampton should keep her place in the starting line-up after smashing home the winning penalty against the Hammers – despite strong competition from Anna Leat.

The full-backs pick themselves right now, with Maz Pacheco continuing her brilliant form this season at left-back and Sarah Mayling facing little competition for her spot at right-back. The 25-year-old will look to add to her total of one goal and one assist notched up so far this season.

At centre-back, Ward faces a selection headache, with three players fighting for two spots in the starting XI. In the 1-1 draw against West Ham, it was Rachel Corsie and Dan Turner who were given the nod – however, Arsenal loanee Anna Patten will be chomping at the bit for more game time.

With Ward having chopped and changed her centre-backs since the turn of the New Year, Patten could be set for a return to centre-back at the expense of Scotland international Corsie.

January recruit Jordan Nobbs will look to continue her fine WSL form that saw her score a hat trick against Brighton last time out and pick up the WSL’s February player of the month. The former Arsenal player will look to dictate the tempo of the game with her wide passing range from the centre of midfield.

Ward will likely side with Lucy Staniforth and Kenza Dali alongside Nobbs in her midfield three. French international Dali has been on fire for Villa in recent months and once again provided an assist for Rachel Daly in the FA Cup win.

This contribution took her to a ridiculous ten assists for the season, as well as popping up with a handy five goals from midfield.

In the attack, Rachel Daly will look to continue the blistering club form that has earned her the chance to play as England’s number nine in the recent Arnold Cup. The former Houston Dash player currently sits atop the WSL’s top-scoring charts alongside Khadija Shaw but will look to pull clear with a goal against Everton.

Kirsty Hanson will most likely be deployed on the left flank by Ward, but the right wing remains a position very much up for grabs. Swiss international Alisha Lehmann hasn’t set the world alight in recent weeks, so Laura Blindkilde Brown will be brought into the starting XI to freshen the team up in the attack.

In other Aston Villa news, Villa have been tipped to accept a “big-money” offer for this player in the summer transfer window.