Fan Zone
The Fan Zone will be open to supporters this weekend, with a mini bar/kiosk area available on the day!
There is also a gaming area where supporters can enjoy a game or two of FIFA 22 in the lead up to kick-off.
Another aspect of the Fan Zone is 'the post box' where you will have your chance to send a message to a first-team player of your choice!
The ball pit area within the Fan Zone is currently CLOSED due to Covid-19 restrictions being in place at the stadium.
The area will open within the Community Stand at 17:00 on matchday, with access available once through the turnstiles.
The area will be open again at half-time and will be closed once the second half kicks off.
Aston Villa Women begin the month of February on Sunday evening at the Banks's Stadium.
Carla Ward's side are set to welcome the Hammers in what is set to be a pivotal league clash in Villa's bid to climb the table.
Having seen performance levels improve significantly throughout the month of January, the next handful of fixtures represent a golden chance to start putting more points on the board.
Our last league encounter saw us seal a dramatic win over Midlands rivals Leicester City in stoppage-time when Alisha Lehmann slotted home with barely a tick left on the clock.
That result, alongside three key additions in the January window, has provided a welcome boost as we now go in search of stringing consecutive positive results together as we head into the final few months of the season.
Watch Villa Women in the WSL on Sunday!
Tickets available from £5.
Sunday’s visitors to the Banks’s Stadium are West Ham United.
Olli Harder’s side have enjoyed a solid first half of the 2021/22 season and currently sit just four points behind Tottenham Hotspur in fourth place.
With their next two league fixtures coming against Carla Ward’s Villa and Leicester City, they will have the teams directly above them in their sights as they attempt to climb the standings themselves.
But Sunday’s encounter will be a finely balanced one if the last few meetings are anything to go by.
These two sides faced off a couple of times during the latter stages of last season, and with both in respective relegation trouble, successive 0-0 draws were contested.
Both games, fans will recall, were lacking in clear cut chances as both United and Villa secured necessary points to maintain their WSL status for the current campaign.
Then came our most recent meeting in September, when Remi Allen stooped to head home a stoppage-time equaliser to deny West Ham victory.
United, incidentally, are unbeaten against teams outside of the top three since the opening day, meaning this weekend’s clash is bound to be a cagey one.
Three To Watch
Katerina Svitkova - Svitkova joined West Ham United in the summer of 2020 from Slavia Prague in her native Czech Republic. A versatile player that is comfortable, at wing-back, in midfield or up-front, Svitkova has slowly adapted to the Barclays FA Women’s Super League since arriving in England, and is now a key player for Olli Harder. The 25-year-old has four goals in all competitions this season.
Emma Snerle - Snerle is a new signing for the Hammers, having joined from Champions League outfit, Fortuna Hjørring in January. The 20-year-old midfielder had scored 13 goals in 14 games for her hometown club and has made the move to the WSL to take the next step in her career. Snerle is yet to score her first goal for the Irons but did register an assist in their 3-0 win over Everton in West Ham United’s last WSL outing.
Claudia Walker - A powerful forward, Walker is likely to be the focal point of the West Ham United attack. The 25-year-old made the move down to east London in last summer after two years at Birmingham City. Walker’s career in Claret & Blue has already gotten off to a pretty good start, with six goals from her 16 appearances so far this term.
The Last Meeting
The Boss
Carla Ward spoke to VillaTV to preview Sunday's visit of the Hammers, as well as reflect on the month of January...
Ramona Petzelberger
The club also caught up with our German forward to look ahead to Sunday...
