Preview: Aston Villa Women vs. Everton Ladies - prediction, team news, lineups

After losing for the first time this season last weekend, Aston Villa Women will be looking for a response when they welcome Everton Ladies to the Bescot Stadium on Saturday.

With the two sides level on points ahead of the WSL contest, the visitors will be looking to clinch a victory that would move them above their opponents in the league table.

Match preview

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Aston Villa enjoyed a promising start to the season after beating Manchester City and Leicester City in their opening two league games.

They extended their unbeaten start to the season to three matches when they drew 1-1 with Manchester United in the League Cup before picking up a bonus point courtesy of a penalty-shootout victory.

However, Carla Ward's side were given a reality check by Aston Villa last weekend as they fell to defeat for the first time this season.

Dagny Brynjarsdottir and Honoka Hayashi gave the Hammers a two-goal lead, and although Kenza Dali pulled a goal back after Alisha Lehmann had missed a penalty, the Villans were unable to find an equaliser.

Despite losing last weekend, Aston Villa will be pleased to head into the weekend in fourth position with only three points separating them from the top of the table.

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Brian Sorensen has experienced a mixed start to his tenure as Everton boss, after overseeing four league games split evenly between victories and defeats.

The Toffees bounced back from an opening-day defeat to West Ham by beating Liverpool 3-0 in the Merseyside derby, before edging out Leicester City via a 1-0 scoreline.

However, Everton came up short when they faced WSL champions Chelsea last weekend, despite a Kadiesha Buchanan own goal cancelling out Pernille Harder's first-half opener.

They were level for just six minutes, as Harder scored her second goal of the game from the spot before Niamh Charles wrapped up a 3-1 victory for Chelsea with a stoppage-time strike.

Everton will look to return to winning ways on Saturday as they bid to clinch consecutive away victories that would move them above Aston Villa in the league table.

Team News

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Goalkeeper Anna Leat will start for the third consecutive game for Aston Villa, with Hannah Hampton still sidelined through injury.

Despite losing narrowly to West Ham, Ward is expected to name an unchanged starting lineup for Saturday's contest.

Rachel Daly was unable to find the net last weekend, but she will be looking to add to the three league goals that she has scored this season when she leads the line against Everton.

As for the visitors, they will be hoping to have Katja Snoeijs available after the 26-year-old missed the defeat to Chelsea due to an ankle injury.

Aggie Beever-Jones was ineligible to face her parent club last weekend, but she could return to the matchday squad for Saturday's contest.

After dropping down to the bench against Chelsea, Sorensen could bring Aurora Galli and Izzy Christiansen back into the starting XI for the meeting with Aston Villa.

Aston Villa Women possible starting lineup:

Leat; Mayling, Patten, Turner, Pacheco; Dali, Corsie, Blinkilde; Lehmann, Hanson, Daly

Everton Ladies possible starting lineup:

Brosnan; Finnigan, Sevecke, Veje; Graham, Bjorn, Galli, George; Park, Christiansen, Snoeijs

We say: Aston Villa Women 2-2 Everton Ladies

Although Everton have played one more league game than their opponents, both sides are level on six points, and we think that two closely matched teams will have to settle for a point apiece on Saturday.

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