West Ham United and Aston Villa go head to head this weekend in the fifth round of the Women's FA Cup.
The two Women's Super League sides have already met this season. The Hammers earnt the bragging rights last time out, with a 2-1 win at the Poundland Bescot Stadium. Early goals from Dagny Brynjarsdottir and Honoka Hayashi was enough to earn victory.
West Ham come into this match winless in their last three league matches. They currently occupy 7th in the league. Meanwhile, Aston Villa stormed to a 6-2 victory over Brighton in their last match. It saw them move up to fifth in the table.
The FA Cup offers an opportunity for both sides to challenge for silverware. Despite not being favourites for the competition, both teams will fancy their chances of going on a cup run in the coming months ahead. A place in the quarter finals is at stake on Sunday.
-
Team News
Eleven international stars have returned to East London in recent days. Jess Ziu is the only confirmed absentee, as she continues to recover from an anterior cruciate ligament injury sustained in early October.
It gives Paul Konchesky a strong squad to work with ahead of a big match for the Hammers.
In Friday's press conference, manager Carla Ward confirmed that Freya Gregory and Evie Rabjohn will be in the squad for Sunday's FA cup tie.
Gregory had been injured since December with an ankle injury, whilst Rabjohn had been left sidelined with a recent ankle problem.
Remi Allen and Simone Magill are continuing their rehabilitation work on the pitch, but are still a prolonged period away from featuring in the first team.
Meanwhile, Meaghan Sargeant, Chantelle Boye-Hlorkah and Natasha Harding remain injured, but the latter has returned to light training in recent days.
-
Likely Lineups
Arnold; Shimizu, Fisk, Cissoko, Smith; Hayashi, Stringer, Brynjarsdottir; Fillis, Snerle, Asseyi
Hampton; Mayling, Patten, Turner, Pacheco; Staniforth, Nobbs, Dali; Lehmann, Hanson, Daly
-
Key Players
Dagny Brynjarsdottir - West Ham
The 31-year-old has been a key player for the Hammers this season. The Icelandic midfielder is their top goalscorer so far this season, with five goals in 13 matches in the Women's Super League.
She did not feature in their heavy 7-0 defeat to Chelsea last time out, but has played every league match for her side. Her threat from deep has been notoriously difficult to deal with.
Operating from midfield, some might be surprised she is West Ham's leading goalscorer. But, the Icelandic international has proven she has an eye for the goal this season.
Brynjarsdottir is yet to score in 2023, but if she can regain her earlier season form, then she could cause chaos for the Villans' defence.
The English midfielder shone for the Villans last time out. She earnt herself a hat-trick against Brighton, thanks to a stunning performance. Her final goal epitomised her overall performance. Nobbs noticed the goalkeeper off her line, before firing a powerful effort into the top right corner.
Despite featuring just four times for Aston Villa since her move from Arsenal in January, Nobbs has already built chemistry with her teammates. She's combined smoothly with Alisha Lehmann, Rachel Daly and Kirsty Hanson in the final third, which sent Aston Villa storming to victory last time out.
If Nobbs can continue her fine form for Aston Villa, then she could be a major problem for West Ham on Sunday.
-
Match Details
Where is the game being played?
The match is taking place at the Chigwell Construction Stadium, which is the home of Dagenham & Redbridge. It has a capacity of 6078.
What time is kick-off?
It kicks off 3PM GMT on Sunday.
Where can I watch?
The match is not being shown on live TV or the FA Player. But you can follow the social media channels of West Ham and Aston Villa for regular updates. Highlights will be online post-match.