Sports Mole previews Sunday’s Women’s Super League clash between Manchester City Women and Aston Villa Women, including predictions, team news and possible lineups.
Manchester City Women will look to claim a seventh consecutive victory in all competitions when they play host to Aston Villa Women on Saturday.
Meanwhile, the visitors will be aiming to spring a surprise as they bid to claim their first win of the Women’s Super League season.
Match preview
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Man City will be in a positive mood after beating St. Polten in Wednesday’s Women’s Champions League clash to record a sixth consecutive victory.
Alanna Kennedy fired Man City into the lead, before Melanie Brunnthaler and Kamila Dubcova found the net to turn the game in St. Polten’s favour.
However, the Citizens managed to wrestle back control, with Aoba Fujino restoring parity before Mary Fowler struck in the 80th minute to clinch all three points.
As a result of the narrow victory, Man City finished matchday two in pole position and three points clear of Barcelona and Hammarby.
Gareth Taylor’s side will also head into the weekend as the WSL leaders after winning three and drawing one of their opening four league games.
Man City will fancy their chances of claiming three more points on Sunday, having won all of their four competitive home games this season without conceding.
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Aston Villa boss Robert de Pauw is still searching for his first victory as WSL manager after seeing his team take two points from their first two league games.
The Villans have lost their opening two away games against Chelsea and Brighton & Hove Albion, while they have drawn both of their two home league matches with Tottenham Hotspur and Leicester City.
Villa were unable to find a way through in last Sunday’s goalless draw against the Foxes, but they did at least claim their first clean sheet of the WSL season.
After taking a point from that home contest, Villa will now head on their travels as the only team yet to pick up an away point in the top flight this term.
The Villans have never beaten Man City in a WSL away game, having lost three and drawn one of their last four league meetings.
Manchester City Women Women’s Super League form:
Manchester City Women form (all competitions):
Aston Villa Women Women’s Super League form:
Aston Villa Women form (all competitions):
Team News
The hosts will have to assess Netherlands international Vivianne Miedema, who has been forced to miss the last two matches due to an injury issue.
Man City will definitely be without the services of Sandy MacIver, Risa Shimizu and Naomi Layzell due to their respective injuries.
After making several changes in midweek, Taylor is set to recall Ayaka Yamashita, Kerstin Casparij, Laia Aleixandri, Jill Roord, Lauren Hemp and Khadija Shaw.
As for the visitors, they are unable to call upon the injured quartet of Rachel Corsie, Jill Baijings, Anna Leat and Georgia Mullett.
Left-back Paula Tomas will serve the second game of a three-match suspension after being sent off against Brighton earlier this month.
Kenza Dali was introduced as a half-time substitute against Leicester, and she could now be brought into the side for Sunday’s away fixture.
Manchester City Women possible starting lineup:
Yamashita; Casparij, Aleixandri, Greenwood, Ouahabi; Park, Hasegawa, Roord; Fowler, Hemp, Shaw
Aston Villa Women possible starting lineup:
D’Angelo; Maritz, Patten, Parker; Grant, Nobbs, Kearns, Turner; Dali, Hanson, Daly
We say: Manchester City Women 2-0 Aston Villa Women
Man City have been in imperious form in the opening stages of the 2024-25 season, and we think they will showcase their quality again to sweep past Aston Villa to collect three points which would see them enter the international break as league leaders.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.