Gareth Taylor's side comes into the FA Cup on a high, having just lost once since September. Their streak has seen them win 18 games out of 21 matches across all competitions.
The Villains have matched the performances of City, having lost only once in 2023 - they enter the encounter on the back of a six-match undefeated run in the Women's Super League.
Khadija 'Bunny' Shaw became Manchester City's highest-scoring female player in a single season with a brace in Sunday's 2-1 win over Brighton.
Aston Villa also defeated West Ham 2-1 in their recent match, with goals from Rachel Daly and Jordan Nobbs securing the points.
Other FA Cup ties this weekend consist of Lewes hosting Manchester United, Brighton & Hove Albion visiting St Andrews to play Birmingham City and Reading facing the current cup holders Chelsea.
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Team News
Aston Villa
Carla Ward did not reveal too much about the fitness of her squad to the media but gave some insight into players that could feature this weekend.
Ruesha Littlejohn was forced to withdraw from Sunday's victory over West Ham due to a knee injury. Meanwhile, Anna Leat was seen during training and is on her way back to the matchday squad.
Remi Allen, Chantelle Boye-Hlorkah, and Simone Magill are all making good progress in their rehabilitation, but long-term injuries keep Meaghan Sargeant and Natasha Harding out.
Manchester City
Gareth Taylor has recently announced that Hayley Raso and Alanna Kennedy are nearing a return and could be in contention to feature on Sunday.
The gaffer also revealed that defender Esme Morgan is expected to be part of the squad, after only featuring off the bench against Spurs last weekend.
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Likely Line Ups
Aston Villa
Hampton; Pacheco, Turner, Corsie, Mayling; Nobbs, Staniforth, Dali; Hanson, Daly, Lehmann.
Manchester City
MacIver; Ouhabi, Greenwood, Houghton, Aleixandri; Angeldal, Hasegawa; Hemp, Coombs, Kelly; Shaw.
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Key Players
Aston Villa – Jordan Nobbs
After scoring her fourth goal on Sunday, the attacking midfielder is eager to add to her tally.
The Villians' new January addition scored the game-winning goal in a 2-1 victory over West Ham United last weekend.
The victory extended their undefeated streak to six games, which has aligned with Nobbs' debut to the club - the midfielder believes their confidence is building with each game.
Her drive to "score more goals" will be vital this weekend when they face giants Manchester City.
Manchester City – Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw
Khadija 'Bunny' Shaw became Manchester City's highest-scoring female player in a single season last weekend, scoring twice against Brighton & Hove Albion to bring her record to 26 goals.
Nikita Parris previously held the record with 24 goals in the 2018/19 season and after conquering this feat, the striker's form will be beneficial to City's pursuit of silverware this season.
Her manager was overjoyed for the Jamaican striker and spoke highly of her to the media.
“I’m super proud of Bunny and all the players are...I think what she’s done is remarkable, really - to go from the first game of the season scoring and not really have a dry spell at all, maybe a couple of games."
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Match Details
Where will the match be played?
The match will be played at the Poundland Bescot Stadium.
When will the match be played?
The match will be played on Sunday the 19th of March, with kick-off set for 6 pm.
How can you watch the match?
In the UK, the match will be shown for free on the FA Player.
