Carla Ward addressed the media from Bodymoor Heath on Friday morning as she looked ahead to Sunday’s game against Arsenal.
There were plenty of topics discussed as Aston Villa’s manager previewed the trip to Emirates Stadium.
Here’s what she had to say…
On team news…
“Kenza [Dali] still won’t be available. We’re probably looking at [after] the international break for a return. We’ve had a couple of illnesses in camp which will be assessed today but other than that, everyone’s good to go.”
On missing Dali and Hanson...
“Kirsty [Hanson] and Kenza were pivotal in everything we did last season. What Kenza does is link the front half and the back half very well. Kirsty’s pace and power is something that’s rare in our game. We’ve missed them massively, but the group’s tight-knit. We’re disappointed but we’ll keep working like we always do.”
On pressure...
“You have to work every day like it’s your last, whether you’re under pressure or not. The reality is you continue to work and focus on what you can focus on. Myself and the players are an honest group that will always analyse what we do. Let’s talk about the bigger picture… we’ve come close against Manchester United. We’ve gone to Liverpool and, while we’re disappointed with our performance, there’s no problem with losing to a side that’s just beaten Arsenal. Our run of fixtures isn’t particularly healthy, but we’re an honest group that will continue to do everything we can to pick up points. It won’t be long before we do so.”
On the run of fixtures...
“You should judge where we are at during Christmas and ultimately after 22 games. There’s no panic here whatsoever. It’s clear that we’re very focused on what we want to try and achieve. The focus and the aims haven’t changed from what we set out to do in pre-season. We’re only two games in, and we’ll continue to work and go after those targets.”
On Arsenal...
“They were excellent against Manchester United. I said it in pre-season and I’ll say it again… they’ve got a world class squad. They’ve got a top manager. They can rotate and put a world class XI on the pitch with whoever they select. And they’re a team who I really enjoy watching play. We’re under no illusions… we’re going to have to be at our best.”
