by Ava-Marianne Elliott (9/11/23)
Above: The Aston Villa team celebrating their first goal of the season against Marc Skinner’s Manchester United Photo: Aston Villa Women on Instagram.
Aston Villa suffered their fifth consecutive league loss this past weekend after league leaders Chelsea put six past the home side at the Bescot Stadium. So far, they have lost every fixture of their 2023/24 campaign in the WSL.
It’s safe to say that the high expectations have come crashing down dramatically after the results Carla Ward’s side have seen. With their phenomenal spirit and determination, the team skilfully saw themselves securing the fifth-place spot at the end of their their 22-23 campaign. This time however, the Villans seem to be continuously met with misery as five weeks in a row they have failed to secure a single point, which leaves them in the relegation spot.
In this review of Aston Villa’s season so far, attributes such as predictions, statistics on Villa’s most influential players, squad depth, and the influence of Ward’s management are reviewed to try and determine just where this Villa side seems to be finding things going wrong in comparison with their exceptional performances last season.
Pre-season predictions
Before this season’s WSL began, it’s no surprise that people were predicting the Villa side would be pushing for a top-three spot. The summer window saw the club bring in some excellent reinforcements in the form of players from across the globe.
During the five league matches that have been played so far, Villa have run into a number of unexpected challenges that the team have had to overcome. Factors contributing to their rocky start to the race have come in many forms, and they seemed to have been just short of finding a winning solution in some weeks.
Regardless of how Villa performs over the rest of the season, it may be quite the task to climb back from the minus-12 goal difference they currently have.
Management and leadership
As a result of Carla Ward’s record with Aston Villa, it’s imaginable she is well up to the task of pushing her side through this rough patch that they’ve hit. Since her appointment in 2021, Villa have been slowly climbing their way up the table, and progressing to the FA Cup semi-final last season where they suffered a 1-0 loss against Chelsea.
In three seasons, the side has progressed from fighting relegation to pushing the top-of-the-table teams, and even claiming success over Arsenal in their last fixture of the 22-23 season. There is credit due to Ward for her efforts, and she has expressed just how frustrating Villa’s string of losses have been.
Their next fixture is an away trip to Aston Gate, facing newly promoted Bristol City. The Villa boss is aware of the impact that not finding a result in this huge clash could leave her future with the side in real jeopardy.
Although her future with the club may hang in the balance, the Villa squad hold Ward in high esteem, and player Rachel Daly recently expressed the side’s intentions to ‘“fight for Carla” and “back the manager” as they try to move out of the tough position they have found themselves in. It’s just a small glimpse of the attitude that the team has, and it reflects that same attitude that has seen them through so much success in the past.
Throughout the season, it is not just Ward’s leadership that is going to see Aston Villa through this patch. The club have named a four-player leadership team to captain the side. Rachel Corsie, who is heavily respected by her peers, will take the captaincy position. Alongside her, three vice-captains Lucy Staniforth, Rachel Daly, and Dan Turner follow, and they all hold a vast amount of experience across the pitch in their respective positions.
Villa may be struggling to gain a point, but the leadership they have within the club is a strong system that will be considerably vital in the team improving their performances, more specifically through the mentality and determination they bring.
Defence
Across the summer window, Aston Villa had an impressive recruitment that has led to the further development of her side. Arguably, the biggest transfer was the signing of Dutch goalkeeper Daphne Van Domselaar from FC Twente, who has put in some stellar performances so far.
Despite Van Domselaar’s capability between the sticks, the defensive system in front of her that Ward has been utilising so far hasn’t worked out. Consistently, a back four has primarily been used, although they have struggled to provide Van Domselaar with reinforcements, leading to a total of 16 goals conceded.
Ward last season notably favoured a 4-1-4-1 formation over the 4-3-3 that she seems to be utilising more frequently after testing a 4-2-3-1 for the opening two games of the season. Although there is consistency through the regular use of a back four, the fullbacks that Ward typically deploys to drive the ball forwards towards the box are not able to be as progressive in their play as normal, for example Maz Pacheco is usually one of the players that takes on this role.
Without the impact of Kirsty Hanson and Kenza Dali, the defensive players that move up the pitch are often getting caught out in counterattacks as they attempt to move into the final third. This was something that occurred frequently during the Chelsea game, and Emma Hayes’ side were able to capitalise on Villa’s mistakes.
To add to the lack of defensive depth, another summer signing, Lucy Parker, has been ruled out of the mix for an unknown period of time after recently sustaining an injury to her ankle whilst on international duty.
Midfield partnerships and goal-scorers
If you look at some of the errors that are coming from the back four and defensive partnerships within the Villa lineup, two of the team’s top performers and most consistent achievers can be found in the midfield. Both Lucy Staniforth and Laura Blindkilde have proved their worth to the side last season, and they continue to perform well throughout the fixtures they have gained minutes in.
Staniforth has started every WSL game for Villa so far this season, and her passing accuracy currently sits at an average of 77%. Her ability in possession and frequent use of short passes is a credit to her years of experience, not just in the league playing for teams such as Manchester United, but also her time representing England internationally. She is by far one of the most valuable assets to the Villa side, particularly through her capability connect the Villa defence to the attack to ensure that the play progresses forwards.
Blindkilde, at just 20 years old, she finds herself consistently playing regular minutes for her team and has made a starting appearance for four out of five fixtures so far. In this week’s Conti Cup fixture, the young star made her 50th appearance for the team. The energy that she is able to bring on the pitch is a huge advantage, as she makes smart decisions on the ball and is frequently found in the box when Villa are on the attack. This gives her side more options in terms of players that are available in goalscoring positions.
Alongside Staniforth and Blindkilde, Villa have other talents available for midfield in the form of players such as Jordan Nobbs who has years of experience, and Olivia McLoughlin, a talented youngster who spent last season out on loan to Birmingham City.
Despite the efforts of the team, one thing that Villa has severely lacked this season is the ability to be creative with chances in the final third, which has subsequently led to a goal shortage. Across their WSL campaign so far this season, they have netted just four goals, two of which coming from their star striker, Rachel Daly. I think some of the problems that Villa have, although they still have such a talented cohort on the pitch, stem from the loss of two of the most important playmakers in the team.
Of course, Villa has Daly, who has time and time again proven herself to be a player key to Ward’s side, therefore they often played to her strengths as a striker as a focus of the team tactics. Daly has also become a firm fan favourite in Claret and Blue, and they often commend her phenomenal work rate and mentality as her role in the side has been detrimental to their achievement.
Two of the sources that are pinpoint causes of the team’s inability to score and get the ball through for Daly to strike, are the effect of the absent Kenza Dali through injury, and Kirsty Hanson through a three-match suspension.
During the opening game of the season for Villa, Hanson picked up a red card after a tough challenge on Hayley Ladd. It was later announced that the clubs appeal to reduce Hanson’s ban from the match squad was unsuccessful, and she was only able to return to play in the 6-0 loss to Chelsea.
Hanson’s physicality on the pitch is often a big advantage for Villa, and the Scottish international’s statistics from last season put into perspective how much of a challenge it would’ve been on the team to lose her for three matches. Not only did Hanson win 72% of her tackles, but she also created 36 chances and scored seven goals, plus adding a tally of nine assists to her name.
Alongside Hanson, another figure that’s been missing from the pitch is France’s Kenza Dali. Since her signing from Everton, Dali has been one of the most influential figures in the squad and is known to have a strong relationship with her peers off the pitch as well as on it. It’s obvious that her presence as a player was sorely missed on the pitch, and it was clear there was no obvious concrete plan or way to fill the space she was able to cover, meaning Daly has often been working to cover the position alongside her own. Despite her efforts, there is no way for her to do it all without her key assist maker.
The pair have a partnership on the pitch that would be hard to replicate, mostly between them they have such a clear understanding of each other’s play, so the effect of missing Dali has impacted the number of goals that Daly has been able to score thus far with the loss of their dynamic.
Last season, with 51 chances created for her side, scoring five goals and making eight assists, Dali was a huge contributor to the Villa side. Again, on a more positive note, Dali was finally back in the match squad on Wednesday evening after being on the sidelines for a significant period of time with an injury of unknown origin.
Alongside the key figures outlined, players who are yet to see a significant number of minutes in the WSL for Villa are new signings, Adriana Leon and Ebony Salmon, who are both talented in their respective positions. Salmon, who played for the club in her youth, scored a quality goal for the side in their Continental Cup tie against Sheffield United, and Leon started alongside her. After the 5-0 win on Wednesday evening, hopefully, some further confidence has been instilled in the team, and perhaps they will find their first win this upcoming weekend.
Moving forwards
I think that despite how difficult the opening to the WSL campaign has been for Villa; they show a strength and resilience as a side that’s to be admired. The dynamic and technical ability they had to work so seamlessly together in the previous season is something that they as a side are working towards achieving again, and it’s slowly beginning to show itself.
Hope is beginning to grow, as the side found a comfortable victory over Championship side Sheffield United during the week. For the team’s first Continental Cup tie, the Villans truly did put on a superlative display that resulted in a triumphant 5-0 win to remind people of just how capable they are. It is to be hoped that the result will serve as a confidence booster and it is a reminder of just how stacked full of talent the Villa squad is.
Across the course of the next few fixtures of the season, it’ll be interesting to watch how Aston Villa can apply their tactics and successes from this match to the sides that they will face in upcoming weeks, particularly before they face Gareth Taylor’s Manchester City in early December. With the return of faces like Dali and Hanson, hopefully, the team will be able to take shape yet again and find that stellar rhythm they built up throughout last season yet again.
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