Arsenal Women will try to bounce back from a disappointing defeat to Chelsea when they travel to Villa Park for Sunday's Women's Super League meeting with Aston Villa Women.
Meanwhile, the Villans will have the chance to claim consecutive victories after beating Everton in their most recent outing.
Match preview
Aston Villa began the month with a couple of disappointing results, losing 4-1 in a league meeting with Liverpool before they were thrashed 4-0 by Arsenal in the League Cup semi-finals.
However, the Villans managed to get back on track in their recent trip to Walton Hall Park, with goals from Kenza Dali and Ebony Salmon proving enough to secure a 2-1 win over Everton.
That result represented their fifth away victory of the WSL campaign, which is quite the contrast to the one win that they have mustered in seven home league games this season.
Those struggles on home turf have effectively quashed Aston Villa's hopes of replicating last season's fifth-placed finish, with the Villans currently sitting in seventh position and nine points adrift of Liverpool in fifth spot.
Nevertheless, they are just three points behind sixth-placed Tottenham Hotspur, and a top-half finish would represent a satisfactory result after beginning the 2023-24 campaign with five consecutive defeats in the WSL.
Arsenal's hopes of claiming their first WSL title in five years are left hanging by thread following a 3-1 defeat to Chelsea in their most recent fixture.
Chelsea netted all three goals in the first period, making Catarina Macario's 86th-minute own goal a mere consolation for Jonas Eidevall's side.
While they remained in third position, Arsenal are now six points adrift of Man City and Chelsea with just six matches left to play in the WSL season.
They do at least have a six-point buffer over Manchester United and Liverpool, leaving them on course to qualify for next season's Champions League.
The Gunners will certainly fancy their chances of returning to winning ways this weekend, having already beaten Aston Villa in the WSL and the League Cup this season.
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Team News
Aston Villa are unable to call upon the services of Daphne van Domselaar, Lucy Parker, Lucy Staniforth and Kirsty Hanson.
If there are no fresh injury issues, Carla Ward could decide to select the same lineup that started the win over Everton.
Rachel Daly will continue to lead the line for the Villans, and she will be looking to add to the six league goals that she has scored this season.
As for the visitors, they are expected to be without Vivianne Miedema, Lina Hurtig, Laura Wienroither and Teyah Goldie.
Emily Fox is likely to come into the side to feature in a back four alongside Leah Williamson, Lotte Wubben-Moy and Katie McCabe.
At the opposite end of the pitch, Alessia Russo could be recalled to the starting lineup after dropping down to the bench last weekend.
Aston Villa Women possible starting lineup:
Leat; Maritz, Patten, Turner; Mayling, Nobbs, Dali, Pacheco; Leon, Salmon, Daly
Arsenal Women possible starting lineup:
Zinsberger; Fox, Williamson, Wubben-Moy, McCabe; Pelova, Walti; Mead, Little, Foord; Russo
We say: Aston Villa Women 1-3 Arsenal Women
Arsenal will be motivated to provide a response to the defeat against Chelsea, and having already beaten Aston Villa on two occasions this season, we expect the Gunners to claim another victory over the Villans in Sunday's league fixture.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
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