Albion were beaten 4-0 by Joe Montemurro’s side in last month’s Barclays FA Women’s Super League fixture, and Powell says it’s vital her players do the basics well when they host the north Londoners in Sunday’s Continental League Cup tie.
She said, “We’ve certainly got to compete. In terms of the way they play the game, they’re currently the best team in the league.
“We’ve got to be at the races from the off, match them in terms of physicality, and we’ve got to move the ball quicker and keep possession better.
“They’re a squad that’s full of top-quality international players. They’re going to be good and we know that.
“The top three teams are all comprised of international players, and we have to accept that challenge. If I’m playing against one of the world’s best players, I am going to have a good go and I hope the players do that.”
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Powell’s side head into the match after a 2-0 defeat away at Everton last time out, and the Albion manager says there is a real hunger to improve their league form in their next FAWSL match at home to Birmingham City two weeks on Sunday.
“The mood was quite low after the game, and they were all desperate to win, as we all are, but they reflected on it, picked themselves up and went again.
“They’re a tight-knit group that trust themselves and what we’re doing. We had very open discussions about our current form, and recognise that everything is to play for.
“We’re not bottom of the league, we’re still in it, and we want to be in a better position than where we are now. It means we’ve got to keep going, and work a bit harder to try and stick the ball in the back of the net.
“Birmingham are our next opponents in the league when we face them at the Amex, and hopefully we’ll have as large a crowd as possible to rally the girls and give them confidence, in what will be a big game for us. It’s an absolute privilege to play at the Amex, and there will be a lot to play for.”
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Sunday’s game is being dedicated to Kick It Out and Powell says it is vital to continue supporting the work that the charity does to tackle racism and discrimination in the game.
“It’s very important and the work that they’ve done over the past 26 years has brought significant change.
“It’s very important that we recognise and value the work that they’ve done in order to kick racism out of the game. Unfortunately, some aspects have come back into it.
“It’s great that they raise awareness of the issue, and we need to get those messages across that abuse of any kind won’t be accepted. They deserve the plaudits for the work they’ve done and continue to do.”
This season Kick It Out have launched their #KickItOutGeneration campaign. Everyone who wants football to be more inclusive is part of the #KickItOutGeneration. If you love the game but don’t like the hatred that sometimes goes with it, then get involved.
You can report discrimination to Kick It Out via their app, via email on report@kickitout.org, via their online reporting form on their website, or via freephone on 0800 169 9414.