Albion return to WSL action on Saturday when they take on Aston Villa at Walsall’s Poundland Stadium, kick off 12.30pm.
It’s the first of a double header against Villa, who are due to visit the Broadfield Stadium on Sunday week, February 12.
Team news
Elisabeth Terland and Dejana Stefanovic are ruled out by injury but otherwise coach Jens Scheuer has a full squad to choose from.
View from the coach
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Jens Scheuer said, “[Beating] West Brom 7-0 was okay, but we know the speed and intensity of Sunday’s match will be much higher. Aston Villa deserve to be in the top five. They have some great individual players so it will be a difficult game but we will be prepared for it.”
Form guide
Both teams go into the game on the back of big wins in the Vitality Women’s FA Cup. While Albion were beating West Brom 7-0, Villa recorded an 11-0 victory over AFC Fylde, with Rachel Daly scoring four times and eight different players getting on the scoresheet.
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Villa started 2023 with a 2-1 win over Tottenham before claiming a point from a 1-1 draw at Manchester City. They then bowed out of the Conti Cup after losing 3-0 to Arsenal in the quarter-finals. Villa lost both WSL games in December, 5-0 at Manchester United and 4-1 at home to Arsenal.
Albion’s last WSL game was a 3-0 defeat at Leicester City in Scheuer’s first match in charge. Albion will be looking for their first league win since November’s 5-4 victory at West Ham United.
Player to watch
Your January Player of the Month, in partnership with @CazooUK...
— Aston Villa Women (@AVWFCOfficial) February 2, 2023
🔋 @RachelDaly3 🔋 pic.twitter.com/RpoatyimB5
England Euros winner Rachel Daly has made a spectacular impact for Carla Ward’s team since joining last summer from Houston Dash. Daly has scored 15 goals and contributed an assist in 16 matches this season and was named WSL player of the month for January after scoring five goals in all competitions. Before playing in America, Daly had spells with Leeds United, Lincoln City and West Ham United.
Previous meetings
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Both matches last season ended in 1-0 wins for the away team with Maya Le Tissier getting Albion’s goal at the Poundland Stadium. We also beat Villa there in March 2021 when goals from Aileen Whelan and Inessa Kaagman’s penalty secured a 2-0 win, Villa having won 2-0 at the Broadfield Stadium in the clubs’ first WSL meeting in November 2020.
Stats and facts
Every single WSL meeting between Aston Villa and Brighton has been won by the away side. It is the most a fixture has been played in the Barclays WSL with each win coming by the away team.
Aston Villa have conceded 29 goals in their last 13 Barclays Women’s Super League games (W5 D1 L7), after having kept a clean sheet in their two games before this run.
Albion’s Barclays WSL matches this season have seen 43 goals, the most of any side (11 scored, 32 against). However, seven teams’ games have had more shots at goal than Brighton’s matches (277).
Villa have scored 16 Barclays WSL goals this season and one of either Alisha Lehmann, Kenza Dali, Rachel Daly and Kirsty Hanson have had a direct hand in all 16 goals. Hanson has scored two and assisted two of Villa’s last four Barclays WSL goals.
Villa duo Kenza Dali and Rachel Daly have created the most chances for one another in the Barclays WSL this season (15); Dali’s 11 chances created for Daly are the second most from one player to another, behind only Lauren Hemp for Khadija Shaw for Man City (12).