Aston Villa vs Brighton and Hove Albion match preview

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Aston Villa play host to Brighton and Hove Albion in the Women’s FA Cup round of 16 fixture at the Bescot Stadium at lunchtime on Saturday. 

Recent form:

Villa have won just two of their last five fixtures in all competitions. However, they are winless in their last three, drawing against Everton and then losing to Manchester City and Chelsea in the Women’s Super League. 

The Villains parted ways with former manager Robert de Puaw after just six months in charge, before placing Shaun Goater in interim charge. Goater helped the side pick up form before the club ultimately decided to appoint Spaniard Natalia Arroyo. Arroyo took charge of her first match against Chelsea last weekend. After a tough run in of fixtures, the hosts will be looking to pick up their first win under their new manager on Saturday. 

Despite sitting five positions above their opponents for this one, Brighton go into this game in similar form, only winning once and losing three in their last five in all competitions. Unlike Villa, however, they are unbeaten in their last two, winning one and drawing last weekend against rivals Crystal Palace. 

Dario Vidosic and his team will be hoping to extend this unbeaten run and advance to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup for back-to-back seasons. 

Ones to watch:

Rachel Daly - Former English international and Euro winner Rachel Daly has been tearing it up for the Villians since joining the club in August 2022. The 33-year-old has scored 55 goals in just over 70 appearances in claret and blue. She hasn’t slowed down this season, contributing 10 goals and assists in 17 appearances, three of which have come in the last five games. There’s no doubt that she’ll be looking to further her tally on Saturday.

Jordan Nobbs - Another ex-England player who joined the club in the 2022/23 season, Jordan Nobbs has been a staple of Aston Villa’s midfield since joining. Nobbs has so far this season started all 13 WSL games in the middle of the park, playing over a 1,000 minutes in total. Her passing ability, alongside her experience, will prove vital for games against opponents like Brighton. 

Nikita Parris - Former Manchester United, Manchester City and Arsenal striker Nikita Parris certainty knows English Women’s football like the back of her hand. The 30-year-old joined Brighton in the summer after leaving Man United, and has since contributed nine goals and assists in all competitions in 18 appearances in blue and white. She has already added to her tally in this competition, scoring one last round after coming off the bench in a 4-1 win over Durham. Scoring two in her last five, Parris is certainly one to watch out for. 

Kiko Seike - Although the Japanese has missed out on the last three games through injury, if fit, she is a massive threat for Brighton on the wing. Unlike Parris, this is Kiko Seike’s first season in the WSL after joining the Seagulls from Urawa Red Diamonds in the summer. Despite playing significantly less than others, she is Brighton’s top-scorer in the WSL, with all of her seven goal contributions coming in the league. There’s no doubt that she will be a threat, but the question remains whether she is fit enough to be involved within the squad. 

Head-to-head:

Since 2020, these sides have met each other 11 times in three different competitions, the WSL, FA Cup and League Cup. Villa have won most of these ties, winning five out of the 11, with their opponents Brighton winning just one less. The other two matches have ended in draws. 

Predicted lineups:

What lineups can we expect in this FA Cup clash?

Predicted Aston Villa XI: S. D’Angelo; S. Mayling, D. Turner, L. Parker, P. Tomas; J. Nobbs, J. Baijings; K. Hanson, A. Leon, E. Salmon; R. Daly 

Injured/suspended: R. Crosie, L. Staniforth, Kearns

Predicted Brighton and Hove Albion XI: M. Loeck; P. Pattinson,J. Carabali, M. Thorisdottir, R. McLauchlan, R. Rayner; J. Cankovic, V. Losada; M. Haley, K. Seike, N. Parris

Injured/suspended: F. Kirby, A. Masaka, M. Symonds

Where can I watch this game?

You can watch this game in person at the Bescot Stadium, but it is also available to watch on the FA Player and on the Adobe Women’s FA Cup YouTube channel.