Aston Villa 3-3 Everton
By Damion Arnold (2/11/25)
Above: Gago celebrating her first goal with Maz Pacheco. Photo: Everton Women on X.
Everton managed to gain a point against Aston Villa in match week seven of the WSL thanks to a late Kelly Gago injury time volley.
The visitors had to claw their way back into the game twice despite taking the early lead.
Gago opened the scoring early on and it seemed the first half was the Toffees, but Georgia Mullett grabbed an equaliser deep into injury time.
The second half saw Kirsty Hanson giving the Villans the lead before the hour mark, substitute Hikaru Kitagawa equalising with a stunning curling shot, an own goal and finally Gago’s second goal of the game.
The Action
Aston Villa’s coach Natalia Arroyo made five changes to her side that beat Bristol City 3-0, whilst Everton boss Brian Sørensen named three changes to his side that drew 1-1 against Nottingham Forest in the Women’s League Cup.
The visitors started the game at a faster tempo than the hosts as Everton dominated the opening exchanges.
Rosa van Gool had two early shots, threatening the Villa defense, but it was Gago who gave her side the lead in the 10th minute. Fernández laid the French international the ball inside the box and Gago struck the ball well from the left side of the box, finding the far-right bottom corner.
Everton continued to mount pressure on the women in claret, but they could not find that clinical touch again.
Aston Villa began to grow into the game as they had their first effort on goal in the 40th minute– a shot that flew over the bar from inside the box. They found the back of the net in the eighth minute of injury time with a cross from the right side of the box by Noelle Maritz finding Mullett at the back post.
Everton made a half time substitution involving Elise Stenevik, as she was replaced by Rion Ishikawa.
On the stroke of the hour mark, the hosts took the lead. Mullett was played through and she made a good pass to Kirsty Hanson inside the six-yard box. She did well to get a foot ahead of her marker and poke it into the bottom right corner.
Now with the lead, Villa made a double substitution. Maritz was replaced by Sarah Mayling whilst Hanson was replaced by Ebony Salmon.
Five minutes after conceding, Everton made a triple change as Yūka Momiki, Hayley Ladd and Kitagawa replaced Toni Payne, Honoka Hayashi and Mayumi Pacheco.
Sørensen’s substitutions paid off as Kitagawa made an instant impact. In the 70th minute, Fernández laid the ball off to Kitagawa just inside the box and the substitute struck the ball cleanly, finding the far right inside netting.
The hosts made their final change of the game as Rachel Daly replaced Miriael Taylor.
Villa’s third goal came in the 74th minute, just a minute after that last substitution as a short corner from the left side of the pitch found Salmon. She crossed the ball towards the front post, with Ruby Mace getting to the cross first, her clearance actually was sliced, and she found the back of her own net.
Everton was not dead and buried by the goal though, hitting the crossbar in the 85th minute.
Their persistence was finally rewarded as a bit of good fortune found Gago in the fourth minute of added time. A cross from Ornella Vignola found Gago in the centre of the box. An initial header from Gago was blocked well, but it fortunately fell back to her, and she volleyed the ball into the back of the net levelling the game for the third and final time.
TEAMS: Aston Villa: D’Angelo (GK), Patten, Kearns (Captain), Wilms, Maritz, Mullet, Hanson, Kendall, Deslandes, Taylor, 38 Maltby. SUBS: Roebuck (GK), Mayling, Daly, Salmon, Sallaway, Scott, Seymour
Scorers: Mullet 45+4’, Hanson 59’, Mace 74’ (OG)
Everton: Robinson (GK), Fernández, Hayashi, Wheeler (Captain), Gool, Payne, Gago, Vignola, Stenevik, Mace, Pacheco. SUBS: Startup (GK), Ishikawa, Hobson, Kitagawa, Ladd, Weir, Momiki, Jones
Goal Scorers: Gago 11’, 90+4’, Kitagawa 70’
Referee: Stacey Fullicks
Attendance: 2,678
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