Aston Villa Women will travel to Walton Hall Park for their first Women's Super League outing of 2025 against Everton Women.
The Toffees are sitting in ninth spot in the WSL table with nine points to their name, while the Villans are two places higher in seventh position due to goal difference.
Match preview
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Everton will be looking forward to competing in their first game of 2025 after their scheduled FA Cup tie against Tottenham Hotspur was postponed due to a frozen pitch.
The Toffees experienced a difficult start to the WSL season after failing to win any of their opening seven league matches (D3, L4).
However, Brian Sorensen's side enjoyed a much-needed upturn in fortunes in the closing stages of 2024, winning two of their final three league matches of the calendar year, including a narrow 1-0 home win over Liverpool in the Merseyside derby.
Everton went on to fall to a 2-1 defeat in their away meeting with Tottenham Hotspur, before they pulled off a surprising 2-1 victory over title hopefuls Manchester City, courtesy of goals from Lucy Hope and Honoka Hayashi.
As a result of that impressive win, Everton will head into Saturday's fixture with hopes of claiming consecutive WSL victories for the first time since November/December 2023.
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In contrast to their hosts, Aston Villa have already played their first match of 2025, producing a free-scoring display to cruise to a 9-0 victory over fourth-tier Bristol Rovers in the FA Cup.
Gabi Nunes netted a hat-trick and Rachel Daly registered a brace to their side ease into the fifth round, where they will face Brighton or Durham.
As a result of that comfortable win, interim boss Shaun Goater has now won each of his first three competitive matches since taking over the reins in December.
One of Goater's three victories took place in the WSL, with Villa claiming a 3-1 home win over West Ham United to move them four points clear of the relegation spot.
After overseeing three home matches, Goater is now preparing to take charge of his first away fixture, knowing that he has his work cut out to pick up another victory, given the fact Villa have taken just one point from their five WSL road trips this season.
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Team News
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The Toffees remain without the services of long-term absentees Inma Gabarro, Kenzie Weir and Aurora Galli.
Elise Stenevik is unlikely to be ready for Saturday's fixture, while it remains to be seen whether Karen Holmgaard will prove her fitness in time.
Martina Fernandez, Hayley Ladd, Emma Watson, Louna Ribadeira and Kelly Gago could all feature in the matchday squad after joining the club this month.
As for the visitors, they can no longer call upon Anna Leat after the goalkeeper left the club to be closer to her family in New Zealand.
There are doubts surrounding the availability of Missy Bo Kearns, Lucy Parker and Rachel Corsie, who have all been struggling with injury issues.
Nunes could be rewarded with a league start after she scored a hat-trick in the recent FA Cup win over Bristol Rovers.
Everton Women possible starting lineup:
Brosnan; H. Payne, Fernandez, Finnigan, Hope, S. Holmgaard; T. Payne, Ladd, Hayashi, Lawley; Snoeijs
Aston Villa Women possible starting lineup:
D'Angelo; Maritz, Patten, Turner, Tomas; Nobbs, Taylor; Leon, Salmon, Daly; Nunes
We say: Everton Women 1-1 Aston Villa Women
Villa have shown plenty of promise since Goater took interim charge, but they are yet to play an away game under his watch, and having failed to win any of their five WSL road trips, we think they may have to settle for a draw in Saturday's contest.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
