Aston Villa
Brilliant Maupay, Outstanding Bentley – The best and the worst rated Brentford players vs Aston Villa
Full Time: Aston Villa 2-2 Brentford
Brentford were forced to share the spoils with Aston Villa in a 2-2 draw as both clubs saw their respective strikers score superb braces. Dean Smith’s men have impressed in their opening four games of the season. Brentford created a number of chances but were unable to hold onto their lead when Jonathan Kodja scored a stoppage-time equaliser after a first-half goal.
Brentford striker Neil Maupay scored two excellent goals as well. It proved to be a tight competition between the two and ultimately none came out on top. The result leaves both teams with 8 points from the opening 4 games.
Let’s take a look at how Brentford players fared in their 2-2 draw against Aston Villa.
Brentford Player Ratings
Daniel Bentley (8/10)
The goalkeeper continued his dominant presence in goal, making a number of vital saves to keep the Villans at bay.
Henrik Dalsgaard (6/10)
Dalsgaard was impressive with his defensive work but failed to provide accurate crosses while pushing forward.
Konsa Ngoyo (6/10)
The youngster did his best to stop Jonathan Kodja but clearly failed in doing so. He was handed a tough afternoon by the striker.
Chris Mepham (7/10)
Mepham, on the other hand, had a more positive game in terms of defensive contribution and work rate.
Yoann Barbet (8/10)
The Frenchman bombed forward from the left flank and whipped in crosses for the attackers. His supply posed a huge threat to the Villans.
Lewis Macleod (8/10)
Macleod played a number of sublime balls for Neal Maupay but the striker was unable to convert. His passing in the final third was impressive.
Josh McEachran (6/10)
The 25-year-old didn’t start the game well and conceded a number of fouls in dangerous positions.
Sergi Canos (7/10)
Canos was unable to add to his goal tally in this game but came close a number of times. The Spaniard caused all sorts of problems for the Villa defenders.
Romaine Sawyers (8/10)
Sawyer’s creative nous and vision played a huge role for Brentford going forward. The attacking midfielder was spot on with his passing in the final third.
Ollie Watkins (7/10)
Picked up the assist for the first goal and came close to assisting a few others as well. The 22-year-old’s pace was devastating too.
Neil Maupay (9/10)
It was an all-round performance from Brentford striker as he scored a brace to take his tally to 5 for the season.
Substitutes
Kamohelo Mokotjo (6/10)
The African was brought on to bring some energy and stability in the middle of the park.
Nicholas Yennaris (7/10)
Yennaris came in place of Josh McEachran and played a neat game. The 25-year-old did well to track back as well.
Said Benrahma (5/10)
The attacker was brought on to trouble the Villa defence with his fresh legs and pace in the final third. As expected, he posed a few problems for the opposition.
Liverpool Women host Aston Villa at St. Helens Stadium on Sunday in a match that could seal their fate as relegation candidates. The Reds sit at the bottom of the WSL table with just 7 points from 14 matches, while Villa occupy 8th with 16 points after suffering a late 2-1 defeat to Everton last weekend.
Gareth Taylor’s side are running out of time to save their season with just nine games remaining. The 3-1 loss to Manchester United exposed glaring defensive frailties that have plagued Liverpool all campaign, and Villa will fancy their chances of collecting three crucial points away from home.
Kick-off: 12:00 GMT, Sunday, February 8, 2026
Venue: St Helens Stadium, St Helens
TV: Sky Sports
Taylor’s Honeymoon Period Emphatically Over
The former Manchester City coach has endured a nightmare start to life at Liverpool, winning just once in the league this season against Tottenham on January 25th. That solitary victory briefly offered hope before reality crashed back down at Old Trafford last weekend.
Martha Thomas, Denise O’Sullivan, and Alice Bergstrom have provided attacking quality since arriving in January, but the Reds continue shipping goals at an alarming rate. Liverpool have conceded 24 goals already, giving them the joint worst defensive record alongside West Ham.
Villa Struggling for Consistency
Aston Villa threw away a winning position against Everton after Ebony Salmon’s early opener, eventually succumbing to Martina Fernandez’s late strike. Natalia Arroyo’s side remains frustratingly inconsistent despite flashes of quality throughout the season.
The Villans beat Brighton 2-1 before the Everton loss, but were thrashed 4-1 by Manchester United the week prior. Villa needs to string together consecutive wins if they harbour any ambitions of climbing back towards mid table.
Predicted Lineups:
Liverpool (4-1-4-1): Falk; Shimizu, Clark, Fisk, Bernabe; Nagano; Bergstrom, O’Sullivan, Kapocs, Holland; Thomas
Aston Villa (3-4-2-1): Roebuck; Blinkilde, Mayling, Pacheco; Mullett, Dali, Blindkilde, Deslandes; Salmon, Lehmann; Daly
Leicester City Women host Manchester United at the King Power Stadium on Sunday as both sides look to strengthen their positions in the WSL table. The Foxes sit ninth with 12 points from 14 matches, while United occupy fifth place with 27 points, just one point behind third placed Arsenal in the race for automatic Champions League qualification.
Marc Skinner’s side comes into this match full of confidence after reaching the Women’s League Cup final with a 1-0 victory over Arsenal. However, they then suffered a setback with a 4-1 defeat at Aston Villa, meaning United desperately need three points to keep pace with the top three. Leicester have been transformed under Rick Passmoor and will fancy their chances of causing an upset.
Kick-off: 14:00 GMT, Saturday, 7 February 2026
Venue: King Power Stadium, Leicester
TV: Sky Sports and WSL YouTube
United Must Bounce Back From Villa Hammering
Manchester United’s 4-1 defeat at Aston Villa was a shocking result that exposed defensive frailties Skinner thought he had solved. Ella Toone remains out until March with a hip injury, robbing United of their most creative midfielder during a crucial period in the season.
Fridolina Rolfo should return after missing the Villa match, while Gabby George and Leah Galton remain sidelined. Elisabeth Terland has struggled for form recently despite scoring against Villa, netting just two goals since her flying start to the campaign. Ellen Wangerheim could feature after impressing in recent weeks.
Lehmann Arrival Transforms Leicester Attack
Leicester have been revitalized since Rick Passmoor took charge, steadying the ship after a difficult start to the season. The January signing of Alisha Lehmann from FC Como represents a major coup for the Foxes, bringing WSL experience and proven quality from her time with West Ham, Everton and Aston Villa.
Rachel Williams, signed from Tottenha,m provides another attacking threat alongside Jutta Rantala. This is a genuinely dangerous Leicester side capable of punishing any complacency from United, who cannot afford another slip up in their top three pursuit.
Predicted Lineups
Leicester (4-2-3-1): Leitzig; Nevin, Howard, Pacheco, Goodwin; Cain, Whelan; Lehmann, Tierney, Chan; Williams
Manchester United (4-2-3-1): Tullis-Joyce; Lundkvist, Le Tissier, Janssen, Sandberg; Miyazawa, Naalsund; Malard, Terland, Rolfo; Schuller
Also read: Arsenal WFC vs. Leicester City WFC: Predicted Lineups + Match Preview
Manchester United Women travel to Villa Park on Sunday morning looking to build momentum after reaching their first ever Women’s League Cup final.
The Red Devils beat Arsenal 1-0 in Wednesday’s semi final through Elisabeth Terland’s strike, and Marc Skinner will demand his side carry that confidence into the WSL.
United sit fifth in the standings, just four points behind third placed Arsenal who occupy the last Champions League qualification spot. Aston Villa won the corresponding fixture 1-0 earlier this season and have won their last two games at Villa Park, making this a genuinely tricky assignment.
Kick-off: 11:55 GMT, Sunday, January 26, 2026
Venue: Villa Park, Birmingham
TV: Sky Sports+ app (UK)
Injury Crisis Continues for Skinner
United will be without Fridolina Rolfo, Gabby George, Leah Galton and Ella Toone once again. Skinner confirmed the quartet remain sidelined, though Rolfo is training and could return soon. “Hopefully Frido and Gabby are close and then a little bit longer for Leah and Tooney. Apart from that, everyone else is available,” he said.
Ellen Wangerheim could make her WSL debut after starting Wednesday’s cup semi final. This would be an exciting development for United fans desperate to see what the Swedish forward can do in the league.
Villa Missing Key Duo
Aston Villa will be without captain Rachel Daly and forward Chasity Grant through injury, which significantly weakens their attacking threat. However, they have strengthened in January by signing Chelsea midfielder Oriane Jean-Francois and American fullback Jenna Nighswonger on loan from Arsenal.
Predicted Lineups:
Aston Villa (4-3-3): Leat; Corsie, Turner, Patten, Mayling; Nobbs, Leon, Taylor; Hanson, Daly, Salmon
Manchester United (4-2-3-1): Tullis-Joyce; Lundkvist, Le Tissier, Janssen, Sandberg; Miyazawa, Naalsund; Malard, Terland, Awujo; Schuller
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