A Villa Aston Villa

Man City Manchester City

When and where

Our WSL clash with the Villans takes place on Saturday 15 January, with kick-off scheduled for 12:30 (UK) at the Banks’s Stadium.

The match is available to watch live on the FA Player, while you can also follow the key moments of the action over on Twitter: @ManCityWomen.

A detailed match report and reaction from Gareth Taylor and a player will be made available soon after the final whistle, while highlights and a CITY+ full-match replay can be accessed from midday on Sunday 16 January.

Tickets

Tickets are still available to purchase via Aston Villa’s official website, priced as follows:

Adult: £10
Under-18/Over-65: £7.50
Under-14: £5
Disabled Adult: £10
Disabled Under-18/Over-65: £7.50
Disabled Under-14: £5
Wheelchair User (Adult): £10
Wheelchair User (Under-18/Over-65): £7.50
Wheelchair User (Under-14): £5
Personal Assistant: Free

WATCH: Houghton: Contract renewal the easiest decision I’ve made

Team news

Taylor made one change from the side that defeated Leicester in the Continental Cup in midweek, as Demi Stokes replaced Filippa Angeldahl.

Teenage goalkeeper Khiara Keating made her WSL debut in goal, shielded by a backline of Stokes, Alex Greenwood, captain Steph Houghton – making her first league start since September – and Bronze.

Keira Walsh protected the back four, employed behind Vicky Losada and Georgia Stanway, while Hemp and Jess Park occupied the wings and Ellen White led the line upfront.

Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw returned to the matchday squad on the bench, while the game came too soon for Caroline Weir and Karima Taieb.

Karen Bardsley (hamstring), Ellie Roebuck (calf), Esme Morgan (lower leg fracture) and Chloe Kelly (ACL) remain long-term absentees, while Hayley Raso and Alanna Kennedy are away on international duty with Australia.

CITY XI | Keating, Bronze, Houghton (C), Greenwood, Stokes, Walsh, Losada, Stanway, Park, Hemp, White

SUBS | Pilling, Scott, Coombs, Angeldahl, Beckie, Mace, Shaw

Gareth Taylor Preview

“Of course, when the team is performing well and that’s rewarded in the results, we’re in a good place. Confidence is high. We’re excited by the games before international break.

“With the majority of players coming back – we are still missing a couple of key players who are not too far away – the majority of this period has been pleasing.

“You are never too sure how you will come back after the Christmas break. If you look at last season, we had a real hole with COVID-19 issues but it coincided with one of our best periods of the season where we remained unbeaten in the WSL.

“You’re never sure how it will impact the squad. Three games in six days has been really tough and we now go into another periods of six games in seven days, so it is pretty full-on.

“Everyone is looking sharp in training and working hard to give themselves the best chance of being selected.

“Winning games takes you to improved heights. I don’t want to put limits one what we want to achieve. We want to win the league. I have always said that.

“There are a cluster of teams fighting for the European competition. For us, it never changes, we are pleased, having had a rocky patch to have it in our sights.”

WATCH: Taylor: We’ve got the bit between our teeth!

Last Time Out

City booked our place in the Continental Cup quarter-finals with a comprehensive 5-0 win away to Leicester City.

A Lauren Hemp brace plus further strikes from Ellen White, Vicky Losada and Georgia Stanway ensured Gareth Taylor’s side finished top of Group B North.

Young goalkeeper Khiara Keating also made her senior debut at the Pirelli Stadium, as City maintained our 100% record across 2022.

WATCH: Continental Cup highlights: Leicester 0-5 City

Previous Encounter

City cruised to an emphatic 5-0 win over Aston Villa at the Academy Stadium in November 2021.

Despite going in all square at the break, Taylor’s side turned on the style in a convincing second half display to send City off to the international break on a positive note.

Caroline Weir and Georgia Stanway opened the scoring in quick succession soon after the restart, before a Hayley Raso brace – her first City goals – and further Lauren Hemp strike added further gloss to the score.

WATCH: Match highlights: City 5-0 Aston Villa

Form Guide

Taylor’s side currently boast a 100% record in 2022 having won each of our first two matches since returning from the winter break.

Our sequence of victories currently stands at four matches in all competitions, in which we have found the net 19 times and conceded on just two occasions.

Aston Villa are yet to play since returning from the festive break with their home fixture against Everton last weekend postponed due to positive COVID-19 tests in the visitors’ squad.

Carla Ward’s side are searching for their first league win in four matches when they welcome City to the Banks’s Stadium.

How it stands

Victory over Brighton last Sunday saw City move to within four points of the WSL’s Champions League places.

Should results fall in our favour, victory over Villa could see us leapfrog Manchester United into fourth place.

The hosts currently sit 10th in the WSL table but could move up one place with three points in Saturday’s lunchtime kick-off.

Stats

• City have won 11 of our last 13 away games in the WSL (D1 L1), including each of our last three.
• We have won 71% of our games in the WSL when captain Steph Houghton has made an appearance (84/118), compared to only 55% when she has not played a minute (11/20).
• Taylor’s side have won all three of our WSL matches against Aston Villa, scoring 14 goals in total while keeping a clean sheet in each match.
• City have won three successive WSL games in a single season for the first time since a 12-game run between December 2020 and April 2021, scoring 14 times across those three games.