On Saturday, Arsenal will travel to Villa Park to take on Aston Villa in the Women’s Super League.
This fixture was due to take place on 26th April, however it was delayed when the Gunners advanced to the semi-finals of the UEFA Women’s Champions League.
As it stands, the home side sit ninth in the league table, but with a game in hand, they will be hoping to finish the season above eighth-place team Everton, and seventh-place London City Lionesses.
After a mid-week tie away against Brighton and Hove Albion, Arsenal have lost their chance to claim the league title this season. However, the North London side will battle it out with rivals Chelsea for second place.
These two sides last met most recently in a January FA Cup fixture, ending in a 2-0 victory for Arsenal. Their latest WSL meeting however resulted in a draw, and Aston Villa have not lost a league fixture to them since December 2024.
Team News
Aston Villa
Defender Lucy Parker has been sidelined due to an undisclosed injury since the end of March, whilst midfielder Jill Baijings remains unavailable for the rest of the season after suffering an ACL injury back in September.
Ahead of their final home fixture, Villa have announced the departures of Ebony Salmon, Sabrina D’Angelo, and Gabi Nunes at the end of the season. This weekend’s fixture will be their final opportunities to make a home appearance for the club.
Another departure recently announced is that of English midfielder Lucy Staniforth who will be retiring at the end of the season. The 33 year-old has been at the club since January 2023 and has since made more than 50 club appearances.
Arsenal
Defender Steph Catley has been sidelined with a calf injury since the start of April - there is currently no update as to her availability heading into this weekend.
In more positive news, Beth Mead has returned to the squad having been away due to personal reasons.
Defender Katie Reid and Goalkeeper Manuela Zinsberger both remain out of contention due to ACL injuries.
Predicted Lineups
Aston Villa
D’Angelo; Deslandes, Patten, Wilms; Taylor, Staniforth, Francois; Maritz, Kendall, Grant; Hanson.
Arsenal
Van Domselaar; Hinds, McCabe, Williamson, Holmberg; Caldentey, Little; Maanum, Smith, Foord; Russo.
Key Players
Aston Villa - Kirsty Hanson
The Scotland international came to Villa on loan in 2022 before signing a permanent contract the following year, and since then has been a valuable asset to the club making 54 appearances.
Hanson is undoubtedly a force to be reckoned with, and will provide great threats to Arsenal’s defence - the 28 year-old forward is currently the second top WSL goal scorer of the season, behind Manchester City’s Khadija Shaw.
Arsenal - Smilla Holmberg
The Swedish defender has had an exceptional run recently, particularly in Arsenal’s recent fixture against Leicester City - she scored her debut goal for the club, scoring her second later in the game.
The 19 year-old made the move to North London in January and since then has played consistent minutes with the club. Her high-intensity style of play will be invaluable in Arsenal’s attempt to end the season in second place.
Match Details
This fixture will take place at Villa Park in Aston, Birmingham.
Kick-off is at 12pm on Saturday 9th May.
The match will be broadcasted live on Sky Sports.