WSL preview: Albion take on Aston Villa

Main Club Sponsor

TICKETS

SHOP

A look-ahead to Saturday's game at the Broadfield Stadium.

Bruce Talbot

2024-10-04T14:55+01:00

Kiko Seike scored a hat-trick last time out at the Broadfield Stadium and will be hoping for more goals against Aston Villa today. 📷 Kyle Hemsley

Albion return to the Broadfield Stadium on Saturday to take on Aston Villa in the WSL, in their second home game of the season.

Team News

Bex Rayner, Dejana Stefanovic and Charlize Rule are continuing their rehab but head coach Dario Vidosic otherwise reported a clean bill of health after two games in the last week. “Everyone else is available and up for selection,” said Vidosic.

View from the head coach

Dario Vidosic said, ‘I see this game as a good benchmark for us in terms of our progress in the last few weeks against a team with a clear structure and plenty of attacking threats.

‘It has been a very busy week with Saturday our third game in the space of six days. We’ve also spent about 20 hours on the bus, up and back to Manchester last weekend and then back on the coach on Tuesday for the game against Birmingham City. We got back early on Thursday, so preparation time has been limited but it’s the same for Villa.

“I think the girls have enjoyed spending time together travelling to the matches and getting to know each other even more. Those close bonds they are forming will be important as the season unfolds and we go through tough spells, which every team does. We’re looking forward to Saturday. The atmosphere at the Everton game was brilliant and hopefully the crowd get behind us like they did then.”

The visitors

Villa are under new management after Dutchman Robert de Pauw took over from Carla Ward in June. De Pauw wasted no time in adding to his squad, bringing in eight players including former Albion winger Katie Robinson. After suffering a narrow 1-0 loss in their WSL opener at champions Chelsea a fortnight ago, Villa shared four goals with Spurs at Villa Park last Sunday. Adriana Leon and Beth England netted late in the second half to put their team in front but Spurs made it 2-2 in stoppage time. On Wednesday Villa opened their League Cup campaign with a 2-0 win over Crystal Palace.

Facts and stats

● Albion have lost each of their last three WSL games against Aston Villa, each time under a different manager - that run began with a 6-2 home loss under Jens Scheuer in February 2023 (also 0-1 under Melissa Phillips and Mikey Harris).

● Villa have won all four of their away games in the Women’s Super League against Albion, keeping a clean sheet in three of those victories. That represents 20% of the their 20 total away wins in the competition.

● Albion’s 4-0 win over Everton on the opening day of the season ended a run of five consecutive WSL home defeats – the Seagulls last won back-to-back league matches on home turf in May 2023 (vs. Everton and West Ham).

Vicky Losada and Madison Haley in training on Friday ahead of the game. 📷 James Boardman

● Villa have won just one of their last eight games in the Women’s Super League (D3 L4), though the exception was a 1-0 away win at Brighton and Hove Albion on the penultimate matchday of last season.

● Albion have three points from their opening two WSL games this season (W1 L1) and only in 2020-21 (4) and 2021-22 (6) have they picked up more than that after three matches of a campaign.

● Since the beginning of last season in the Women’s Super League, Aston Villa have conceded more 90th minute goals than any other current top-flight team, with Tottenham’s stoppage time equaliser last time out the fifth they have conceded in that period, and the latest they have ever leaked in the WSL (95:20).

● Only Manchester City (31) have recorded more open play sequences of 10+ passes in the Women’s Super League this season than Brighton (28), who in their opening home league game this season recorded their best ever pass accuracy in a WSL match (87.8%) and their second-most passes ever in a game in the competition (550).

● Robert de Pauw (D1 L1) will be looking to avoid becoming the second Aston Villa manager to go winless across their first three games in the WSL after Gemma Davies (L3), who did so back in October 2020. Two of the their previous three managers in the competition picked up their first away win at Brighton, however.

● On MD1 at home against Everton, Kiko Seike became the first player to score a hat-trick on their WSL debut, which is already the record for most goals scored after two home appearances in the competition – only five players have scored on both of their first two home outings in the competition (Sofia Jakobsson in 2013, Carla Humphrey in 2015, Sarah Wiltshire in 2017, Erin Cuthbert in 2017 and Stina Blackstenius in 2022).

● Villa’s Jordan Nobbs is set to become the all-time outright leading appearance maker in the WSL on what would be her 193rd outing in the competition, 13 years and 175 days since she debuted in the Women’s Super League for Arsenal against Chelsea in April 2011.

Match officials