Bristol City Women will be looking to end their seven-game winless run in the Women's Super League when they travel to the Bescot Stadium for Saturday's meeting with Aston Villa Women.
Meanwhile, the Villans will want to produce a positive response after falling to a narrow defeat against Manchester United last weekend.
Match preview
© Reuters
Having won four and lost eight of their 12 league matches, Aston Villa currently sit in eighth place and seven points clear of Saturday's opponents, who are languishing at the foot of the table.
After claiming consecutive victories in the WSL, the Villans fell to a 2-1 loss in last Sunday's away meeting with Man United.
Rachel Daly dispatched her 60th-minute spot kick to halve the deficit after Nikita Parris had registered a brace, but the Villans were unable to find an elusive equaliser in the remaining half hour.
While they may have suffered an away defeat last weekend, it has been their home form that has let them down this season, with their five home league matches producing one win and four defeats.
That sole victory did take place in Aston Villa's most recent home league game in December when Carla Ward's side edged out Brighton & Hove Albion via a 1-0 scoreline.
© Reuters
Having won one, drawn two and lost nine of their 12 WSL matches, Bristol City are propping up the table with three points separating them from 11th-placed West Ham United.
Lauren Smith's side were level on points with the Hammers before last Sunday's meeting between the two sides, but they were unable to take anything off their relegation rivals as they fell to a narrow 2-1 defeat.
Amalie Thestrup found the net to cancel out Honoka Hayashi's opener, before Vivianne Asseyi restored West Ham's advantage to condemn Bristol City to their sixth consecutive home defeat in the WSL this season.
With the Robins still searching for their first home points of the campaign, they may be looking forward to heading on their travels for their first away meeting with Aston Villa since playing out a 2-2 draw in April 2021.
Not only will the Robins be keen to claim all three points, but they will also want to produce a strong display after conceding 33 goals across their 12 league games this term.
- W
- W
- L
- W
- L
- L
- D
- L
- L
- L
- L
- L
Team News
© Reuters
Aston Villa have confirmed that midfielder Lucy Staniforth is set to undergo ankle surgery and will be sidelined for an indefinite period.
Lucy Parker and Danielle Turner are also ruled out through injury, while Laura Blindkilde Brown left the club on deadline day to join Manchester City on a permanent transfer.
Midfielder Miri Taylor is likely to feature in the matchday squad after arriving on loan from Liverpool until the end of the season.
As for the Robins, they are expected to be without the services of Fran Bentley and Rachel Furness due to injury.
January addition Lisa Evans could come into the starting lineup after making her Bristol City debut as a substitute last weekend.
Ffion Morgan came off the bench at half time to provide an assist for Thestrup's goal against West Ham, and the 23-year-old could now be rewarded with a starting place for Saturday's contest.
Aston Villa Women possible starting lineup:
Van Domselaar; Mayling, Patten, Corsie, Maritz; Dali, Nobbs, Magill; Leon, Hanson, Daly
Bristol City Women possible starting lineup:
Yanez; Powell, Struck, Connolly, Napier; Ward, Evans, Rodgers, Jones, Harrison; Thestrup
We say: Aston Villa Women 3-1 Bristol City Women
Aston Villa may have struggled to find consistency this season, but we still believe that the hosts will have enough quality to get the better of the WSL's bottom side.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
