Manchester City Women Host Aston Villa in WSL Clash

Manchester City Women are set to face Aston Villa Women in a Women’s Super League (WSL) match at the Joie Stadium on Sunday, October 20, 2024. The game is among the four fixtures scheduled for the day before the anticipated London derby between Chelsea and Tottenham.

Manchester City enters the match on the back of a six-game winning streak across all competitions, recently defeating St. Polten in the Women’s Champions League. The Citizens managed to turn the game around after initially falling behind, with a late goal securing their win and maintaining their pole position, three points clear of Barcelona and Hammarby in their group.

Despite their impressive form, City will be missing several key players due to injuries, including Vivianne Miedema, who is dealing with an injury concern. However, she is expected to join the Dutch national team for the upcoming international break. Chloe Kelly remains on the bench amid speculation about her future at the club.

Aston Villa, on the other hand, is looking for their first victory in the WSL this season. Under the guidance of manager Robert de Pauw, the Villans have secured two draws at home but are yet to claim any away points, having lost their two road games to Chelsea and Brighton & Hove Albion.

Villa’s Gabi Nunes is a key figure as she opened the scoring in the current WSL fixture against Manchester City, giving Aston Villa a lead against the run of play. Her first goal for the club came through a cross from Kirsty Hanson, further putting pressure on City’s defense.

City’s manager Gareth Taylor, making tactical changes after midweek’s match, will be looking to capitalize on his squad’s unbeaten home record this season. The rivalry with Villa remains uneven, with Manchester City historically dominating their WSL encounters.

Inevitably, Aston Villa will aim to counter City’s strong record at home by leveraging the tactical changes that brought them their first clean sheet of the season against Leicester City last week. Sunday’s match promises to be an intriguing battle as both teams navigate injuries and tactical shifts amid a tightly contested WSL table.