Arsenal v Aston Villa Women
Sunday 15 October
2pm @ Emirates Stadium
THE LOWDOWN
Arsenal play Aston Villa at Emirates Stadium on Sunday afternoon looking for their first WSL win of the season. A shock opening day defeat at home to Liverpool was followed by a 2-2 draw at Manchester United last weekend. The draw at United saw a drastically improved performance (admittedly from a low bar) and a better result, but they really need to take three points from Carla Ward’s Aston Villa side on Sunday.
Villa with feel an equal desperation for points too having, surprisingly, lost their first two WSL games of the season at home to Manchester United and away at Liverpool. There is plenty to ponder for Jonas Eidevall, who is likely to have Beth Mead as an option for the first time since her ACL injury in November last year.
“We need to transform what we have at Boreham Wood to the Emirates. How do we do that? Playing there more often. Creating those situations. This is a really strong moment, playing back-to-back league games here.”
Jonas Eidevall on turning the Emirates into ‘a fortress.’ 👇 https://t.co/41KxTaYs5s
— Tim Stillman (@Stillmanator) October 13, 2023
Arsenal have also opted for a back three formation in their first two games and it will be interesting to see how they line-up against Villa. The back three made sense away at United and, in my view, a late injury to Noelle Maritz probably informed the decision to play with that system against Liverpool. It is one Arsenal have been using for a while now but it feels inevitable that Eidevall will switch back to a 4231 at some point.
There will be eyes on the defence and the goalkeeper too, Arsenal have two new centre-halves to integrate into the team and they have rotated the goalkeepers in the opening two matches. It stands to reason that the defence has not looked as solid as it could have in the first two games but the team will need to show an improved understanding in that area and quickly, especially as Villa have last season’s Golden Boot winner in Rachel Daly.
TEAM NEWS
Jonas Eidevall says Beth Mead should be ready for the match day squad so long as she comes through the final training session of the week on Saturday. Leah Williamson, Vivianne Miedema, Laura Wienroither and Teyah Goldie all miss out with ACL injuries.
Available squad
GOALKEEPERS: 1.Zinsberger, 14.D’Angelo, 40.Williams
DEFENDERS: 3.Wubben-Moy, 5.Beattie, 7.Catley, 15.McCabe, 16.Maritz, 27.Codina, 28.Ilestedt
MIDFIELDERS: 10.Little, 12.Maanum, 13.Walti, 21.Pelova, 22.Kuhl, 32.Cooney-Cross, 53.Lia
FORWARDS:, 9.Mead, 17.Hurtig, 19.Foord, 20.Gio, 23.Russo, 24.Lacasse, 25.Blackstenius
Unavailable: 6.Williamson, 11. Miedema, 26.Wienroither, 29.Goldie
A WORD FROM THE BOSS
“I think that (Aston Villa’s early season form) comes down to personnel, that they haven’t had the same personnel available in central midfield that they had last season. I see a lot of the same things in a really strong Aston Villa side as I saw last season. I expect them to come to the Emirates and believe in their model and their identity. It is going to be an exciting game between two teams that really want to play football.
“I learn things from every game against Villa. The game in May was a very odd game for us, we were totally depleted. As a squad, as a group we had been fighting so hard and we didn’t have any energy at all. Villa played a good game but we are at a totally different stage now with the energy and motivation now. I see this being a completely different game.”
LAST TIME OUT
The teams met on the final day of last season at Meadow Park and Villa ran out 2-0 winners against a depleted Arsenal with goals from Rachel Daly and Alisha Lehmann. In the reverse fixture at Villa Park, the Gunners won 4-1. Kirsty Hanson opened the scoring for Villa but a Rachel Corsie own goal and goals from Vivianne Miedema, Katie McCabe and Jordan Nobbs- who has since moved to Villa.
THE OPPOSITION
Aston Villa are looking to break into the Champions League places and caught the eye last season with increased investment and a commitment to attacking football. In Rachel Daly, they have last season’s Golden Boot winner, with talent like Kirsty Hanson, signed from Manchester United, Jordan Nobbs, signed from Arsenal and Kenza Dali supplying the bullets.
Back 🔜@KenzaDali // @KirstyHanson3
— Aston Villa Women (@AVWFCOfficial) October 13, 2023
The loss of Dali in midfield has cost them a lot of their creative game so far this season, as they were beaten late on at home to Manchester United on the opening day and lost at Liverpool last weekend. They have moved summer signing Lucy Parker, usually a defender, into midfield in an attempt to tighten up defensively too.
While their 47 goals scored last season put them in range of Manchester City (50) and Arsenal (49), it was the 37 conceded compared to City’s 25 and Arsenal’s 16 that prevented them from really challenging for the Champions League places. They have signed a top-class goalkeeper in Daphne van Domselaar to try to help with that but, so far this season, they haven’t quite struck the right balance.
PLAYER TO WATCH
Frida Maanum was voted Arsenal’s Player of the Season last year, where she really found her form in the advanced midfield role. However, that form was slightly contingent on the Gunners operating in a midfield three, where Kim Little and Lia Wälti operated as a very defined double pivot behind her. Since the spring, Arsenal have played a box shaped midfield with two wider 10s and I don’t think it suits her qualities as much.
The box midfield asks the advanced midfielders to operate in slightly wider areas and I think we saw Maanum struggle in a right-sided role during the opening game against Liverpool. Eidevall used Alessia Russo in that wide 10 role at Leigh Sports Village. I think Eidevall is more likely to go back to the 4231 shape against Villa and Maanum’s power and poise as the focal point of attacking midfield ought to come to the fore in that scenario.
PREDICTED LINE-UP
Subs: 1.Zinsberger, 3.Wubben-Moy, 7.Catley, 9.Mead, 17.Hurtig, 21.Pelova, 25.Blackstenius, 28.Ilestedt, 32.Cooney-Cross
HOW TO CATCH THE GAME
The game kicks off at 2pm on Sunday at Emirates Stadium and will be screened live on BBC One in the UK.
COMING UP
We will have full quotes from Jonas Eidevall’s post-match press conference on the site on Sunday afternoon.
I’d guess Jonas will surprise us again with his selection.
An aside. No Gio on the bench although she’s listed as available🤔
Obviously I hope we win but to be honest I’m mostly hoping for a good game of football, that the players have some freedom and that hopefully one of those players is Victoria Pelova. Would love to see Meado on as a sub but only if she’s ready and I guess if the game isn’t tight.
Hope Amanda is starting – she’s listed as so & as a substitute too! Perhaps it should say Kuhl, who I would prefer to start the game, along with Stina & Pelova.
Am fed up with jonas.this coach is a crap😣😣