Aston Villa boss Ward aiming for the perfect ending against Manchester City | OneFootball

Carla Ward says that a victory for Aston Villa against Manchester City at Villa Park this weekend would be a perfect end to her tenure as head coach.

Ward is leaving her position this summer after spending the last three years with the club. She may continue to offer assistance in some minor off-field tasks at Aston Villa during her break from coaching.

The final game of Ward’s tenure couldn’t be much more difficult; a fixture against a Manchester City side that are chasing the Barclays Women’s Super League title. When speaking in the pre-match press conference, Ward said that three points against The Cityzens this weekend would be a perfect leaving gift.

“Three points at Villa Park for sure,” Ward said when commenting on what would be the perfect send-off. “We like playing against Manchester City, I’ve made that clear. The last few years, we’ve had some good games against them.

“They are a team that play in a way that I love. We want to win the game, it’s as simple as that. I couldn’t care less about what goes on elsewhere, I just care about trying to get maximum points.”

Manchester City continue to be without the services of forward Khadija Shaw through injury. Ward says that the challenge for her side is not made any easier by Shaw’s absence.

She said “It’s really interesting because with or without Bunny, they have a very clear way of playing, so no matter who goes in there, the patterns don’t really change. That’s a credit to them because it’s a belief and a philosophy they buy into and live and breathe. That’s probably why they have had so much success. It doesn’t matter who plays, they have world-class players and can all do the same job.”

Ward leaves Aston Villa in a much stronger place than when she joined the club in 2021. She went on to reflect on the growth of the club in the last three years.

“[I look back] with immense pride,” Ward said when summarising her achievements with Aston Villa. “I came into this football club where there was one cabin outside that had a changing room, gym and a staff office. Now, we’ve got a big building here, a couple of others outside, our own gym, player areas and we have maximised on and off the pitch massively. We have attracted some of the best players in the women’s game and we’ve put Aston Villa on the map. I’m proud of what I’ve achieved here for sure.”

Aston Villa’s Barclays Women’s Super League fixture against Manchester City kicks-off at 3pm on Saturday afternoon. Tickets remain on-sale and can be purchased by clicking here.