At A Glance
Aston Villa Women will take to the road for the first time in 2023 when they face Manchester City this weekend.
Villa travel to the Academy Stadium for an 11:30 kick-off this Saturday in front of the Sky Sports cameras.
And Carla Ward's side head into the clash having made the perfect return to action.
Last weekend saw us emerge 2-1 victors over Tottenham Hotspur, with new arrivals Lucy Staniforth and Jordan Nobbs settling into the side quickly.
With three key battles left to play during January, players and staff alike will want to get the final portion of the month off to a flyer.
Saturday's opponents are Manchester City.
Gareth Taylor's side have recovered from a tough start to the season and currently sit fourth in the Barclays WSL table.
Despite opening the campaign with two defeats, City are now just three points behind Manchester United and Arsenal, with leaders Chelsea just ahead of them.
A 12-game unbeaten run has catapulted City straight back into the mix, meaning Saturday is set to be a hotly-contested affair.
The Golden Boot race should add to the many subplots surrounding the fixture, too.
Rachel Daly and Khadija 'Bunny' Shaw are both on nine league goals entering Saturday's clash.
The Last Meeting
Who can forget the last meeting between these two sides?
On the opening day of the season, Villa overcame City in a seven-goal thriller at Villa Park, winning 4-3 in scintillating fashion.
Rachel Daly scored a brace on her debut, with further strikes from Alisha Lehmann and Kenza Dali making for a memorable afternoon at B6.
Team News
Carla Ward confirmed during Thursday morning's press conference Rachel Corsie and Ruesha Littlejohn would return to the matchday squad this weekend.
Corsie missed last Saturday's victory over Tottenham Hotspur, while Littlejohn has played just once this season.
Remi Allen and Simone Magill have both begun pitch-based work but are still a significant period away from returning.
Meaghan Sargeant, Chantelle Boye-Hlorkah, Natasha Harding and Freya Gregory remain out with long-term injuries.
The Boss
“Some of the infrastructure we’ve put in place, and some of the bodies we’ve brought in has been key to the success on the pitch. Now it’s about moving forward.”
Carla Ward
