Ward: We've adapted and it's paying off

Carla Ward admits the recent adaptations made by Aston Villa Women are behind the team's improved performance levels.

Villa lost five of their final six games before the turn of the year, increasing the pressure on staff and players alike as the search for points stagnated.

But having had the winter break to review and adapt, Ward's side have come into 2022 with a point to prove.

Following the disappointment of having our first game of the calendar year postponed, the team produced a spirited display against Manchester City before securing a dramatic victory over Leicester City on Sunday.

Villa were the stronger team throughout against the Foxes, but looked destined for a frustrating draw having taken the lead early on.

But Alisha Lehmann popped up in the penalty area to slot home a stoppage-time winner to restore the feeling of immense pride that was prevalent on the opening day of the season.

Speaking to VillaTV after the pulsating win, Ward expressed her satisfaction in whar she's seen from Lehmann and the rest of the group in recent weeks.

“She’s worked hard and played well," the manager said of her Swiss forward.

"Her 1v1s have got better. In that moment, to finish so calmly in the way she did was sensational.”

“Since Christmas we’ve assessed a few things and we had to look at where we were going wrong.

We’ve adapted quite a lot and you’ve seen that in our play both last week and this week. It’s paying off.”

Next up, Villa start this season's Vitality Women's FA Cup campaign against Chelsea.

Despite what may seem a daunting task for many, Ward was in bullish mood when weighing up her side's chances in the Fourth Round tie.

“That will be an experiment because normally when you play the top three you sit behind the ball," she said.

"I can happily say we’re not going to do that.

"We want to try and see where we’re at against a team like Chelsea."