Inside track on Villa | Christopher Heath | OneFootball

After kicking off our 2024/25 campaign with a victory last weekend, we are back on the road for our first away trip of the Barclays Women’s Super League season

We face Aston Villa on on Sunday afternoon (4.30pm UK) in our first-ever visit to Villa Park.

Robert De Pauw was appointed as the new manager in the summer, joining from German side Bayer Leverkusen, and began his first season in England’s top-flight with a narrow 1-0 defeat to Chelsea in the opening game.

Ahead of our encounter this weekend, we had a chat with journalist Christopher Heath to get a lowdown on Villa…

Looking back on recent form…

After a 3-0 defeat at Kingsmeadow last season in April to go with a six thrashing in the reserve fixture at the Bescot Stadium, Villa supporters would be forgiven for thinking that another similar circumstance could be on the cards in the capital.

However, an unbeaten five-match pre-season schedule – which saw the Villains register four victories against Liverpool, Everton, Real Betis and most notably 2023/24 WSL runners-up Manchester City – hopes were high.

Despite weathering an early footballing storm from Chelsea, in my opinion, Villa were unlucky not to depart the capital with at least a point, as Johanna Rytting Kaneryd’s first half strike ultimately secured the victory for the reigning WSL champions.

I was impressed by the performance in de Pauw’s competitive debut as the club’s new manager, as only the woodwork, two late saves from our former employee Hannah Hampton (from the head of Rachel Daly and Hampton’s positional counterpart Sabrina D’Angelo), and a gilt-edge first-half miss from new signing Missy Bo Kearns prevented the visitors from scoring.

What are the expectations heading into the new campaign?

Based on my expert eye following proceedings at Kingsmeadow, attacking football will be the main course on the menu this season, with appetisers offering an array of goals, goals and even more goals. I almost forgot to add in a few prognosticate subsequent celebrations for dessert for good measure to complete the three-course menu.

Switching the attention back to de Pauw’s side’s pre-season for a moment, Manchester City were twice breached defensively, and again looking back on last Friday, if it was not for Hampton, Villa would have yet again found the back of the net.

Who are the key players to watch this season?

It might be an obvious choice, but the 2022/23 WSL Golden Boot winner, and in addition to being Villa’s top scorer last season (eight in 20 matches), Rachel Daly evidently knows how to find the back of the net.

Undergoing her third season at the club, skippering the side in the absence of captain Rachel Corsie, a newly-formed partnership with yet-to-come record-signing Gabi Nunes, Bo-Kearns and Chastity Grant/Kenza Dali could see Daly challenging for the Golden Boot once again.

One of eight on-pitch summer signings Paula Tomás – a full Spanish international – was recruited alongside Gabi Nunes from Spanish side Levante UD Femenino, and it didn’t take the attacking full-back very long to acclimatise to life in the WSL.

An inundated number of marauding runs down Chelsea’s left-hand side saw Ashley Lawrence having to be on top of her game all evening. The battle between Tomás and Amanda Nildén could be one of the stand-out moments from Sunday’s game.

As touched on above, Nunes willingness and clear determination to improve on last season’s disappointing seventh-place finish, led to Nunes’ release clause at Levante (£250,000) being met - no less a record fee.

The Brazilian, capped 38 times (including in non-competitive appearances - scoring on eight occasions) will undoubtedly provide further final-third firepower for Villa after celebrating 11 goals in Liga F last season. Part of Brazil’s silver-medal winning side at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games – scoring once in the group stage against Nigeria – she is set to be part of de Pauw’s exciting new-look side.

What can we expect from new manager Robert de Pauw?

Visibly a very vocal character in the dugout – captured on the live coverage throughout the match at Kingsmeadow –de Pauw, who won the domestic double (Vrouwen Eredivisie and Eredivisie Cup) with Twente in 2022, looks likely to bring a new blend of attacking football if last Friday’s game was anything to go by.

After netting only 27 goals in 22 league matches under Carla Ward’s expert stewardship last season, the Dutchman’s side (who netted nine times in pre-season) backed by Daly, Nunes, and Grant’s already-proven attacking plethora, the Villains could be celebrating in the afternoon, evening and long into the night throughout the next seven months.