Albion will guarantee their place in the last eight of the competition with a win over London City Lionesses tonight, and Powell is expected to mix up the side in the club’s final group stages match.
She said, “We want to do well in every game we play. The cup does give me an opportunity to look at other players, especially the younger ones from the academy.
“Maya [Le Tissier] featured in it quite a bit last season and has broken into the first-team. We’ll also be looking to bring in Libby Bance, who did very well against London Bees.
“The challenge is that the academy has another game today, and we can’t leave them too short.
“It does gives me an opportunity to experiment, but we want to get to the knockout stages too. Therefore, there’s a balance of wanting to progress, but also giving players experience as well.”
The Albion manager praised Le Tissier in particular for her progress so far this season, and spoke about her incredible desire to improve as a player.
“She’s captained England at under-17 level, is very dedicated, and is a good all-round athlete that’s very committed and hardworking.
“Sometimes we have to hold her back in training, but she’s got a desire and a temperament that has got her to the position she’s in now.
“She’s very anxious to improve, but I have to say to her that it’s a marathon and not a sprint. We want to develop her in the best way we can, but it’s great to see her come through the system.”
MA+ members & STH only - Log-in required
Log-in required
Powell’s team have recorded their biggest win of the season so far in the competition, a 5-0 victory over London Bees, and the manager is eager to translate that free-scoring form to the FAWSL.
“There’s been less pressure, as it’s allowed the players to be a bit more relaxed, and that’s what we have to be mindful of when we go back to those league games. We want to stay in this division, but we want to translate the way we play in the cup into the league.
“When you’re not expected to win, it does take that pressure off and you play the game more freely. There is more pressure as the favourites.
“In the future, we want to be a team that’s tipped to win every game, but we’re not at that stage yet. We’ve got to learn to manage the varying amount of expectations on us.”