Match Pack: Leicester City

At A Glance

Aston Villa travel to Pirelli Stadium on Friday for their first Barclays WSL game of 2024.

Carla Ward’s team have won just one of their last three league games heading into the clash against Leicester City.

The Villans took their indifferent form into the FA Cup last time out, losing 3-0 against Everton to start the year on a disappointing note.

Two wins from ten has left the Foxes looking over their shoulders once again this season.

Willie Kirk’s team, however, are just as close to the top six as they are the relegation zone with 12 games left to play.

Leicester are unbeaten in three of their past five games in all competitions, but are without a league win since October.

Standout Stats

• Leicester City have lost all four of their previous matches against Villa in the Women’s Super 
  League, with Villa one of four teams that Leicester have lost to in 100% of their meetings in the 
  competition: Arsenal (5/5), Manchester City (5/5), Chelsea (5/5).
• Villa have won both of their previous away matches against Leicester City in the Women’s Super 
  League, both of which came in 2022: 2-1 in January and 2-0 in September.

• Villa have won seven of their last 11 WSL away matches (D1 L3), which is as many victories as 
  they managed across their previous 24 league matches on the road (D5 L12).
• Villa are the only team in the Women’s Super League yet to draw a match in the competition this 
  season (W3 L7), with just two of Villa’s last 20 WSL games overall ending in stalemate (W9 D9).
• Rachel Daly recorded the biggest xG overperformance in the Women’s Super League in 
  2023, with Daly netting 18 goals for The Villans from an xG tally of just 11.6, for an overperformance of 
  6.4.
• Kirsty Hanson provided more assists (10) than any other player in the WSL in 2023 despite 
  playing just 19 times, with a league-high six of her 10 assists arriving following a carry; the chances 
  created by Hanson accumulated an xA of just 2.6, with her overperformance of 7.4 the highest of anyone 
  in the competition last year

The Last Meeting

Aston Villa made it two wins in as many away trips to Leicester City when these sides met in September 2022.

Rachel Daly slotted a penalty past Kirstie Levell to give the visitors a first half lead before Emily Gielnik doubled our lead late on.

Team News

Carla Ward confirmed during Wednesday morning's press conference that both Freya Gregory and Maz Pacheco will be involved against the Foxes.

The former returned from a loan spell with Reading recently but was cup-tied for the Fourth Round FA Cup defeat to Everton.

Pacheco, meanwhile, served a one-game suspension having been sent off against Brighton & Hove Albion prior to Christmas.

Olivia McLoughlin sealed a loan switch to Rangers on Tuesday and will spend the remainder of the season north of the border.

The Boss