Carla Ward believes Aston Villa's match with Tottenham 'lacked quality'

Carla Ward spoke to VAVEL after Aston Villa's 3-3 draw with Tottenham Hotspur.

WALSALL, ENGLAND - APRIL 16: Carla Ward head coach of Aston Villa in action during the Vitality Women's FA Cup Semi Final between Aston Villa and Chelsea at Poundland Bescot Stadium on April 16, 2023 in Walsall, England. (Photo by Neville Williams/Aston Villa FC via Getty Images)

By Alex Mitton23 April 2023 19:48 BST

Carla Ward believes that Aston Villa's entertaining 3-3 draw with Tottenham Hotspur 'lacked quality' at the Breyer Group Stadium.

The Villans went into the clash as heavy favourites and seemed to be heading for a comfortable win early on, yet they were pegged back by Spurs in the second half. Rachel Daly rescued a point for the visitors in dramatic fashion late on.

Speaking to VAVEL, Ward suggested that Daly is 'massively important' to the team, whilst believing Villa had the opportunity to kill the game at 2-0.

On the performance

Aston Villa have been one of the most impressive teams in the WSL this season, as they sit comfortably fifth in the table.

It means the Villans have little to play for in the remainder of the season, with no movement likely for the club.

Ward believes her side did not turn up for the occasion, leading to her being disappointed at the performance.

She said: “I don’t think we turned up. I’m really disappointed with the performance. I thought the game lacked quality. What we’ve got to realise is that there’s four games left, and we have to raise the bar. That performance today was short on what we expect.

“It is [hard to motivate the players], but that’s my job. I’ve given them a few nuggets this week on what we can do between now and the end of the season to stay motivated, but we’ve been excellent all season, so we won’t go too much into the negatives. It wasn’t a classic was it.

“I don’t know how to sum that up. It’s not a game I want to watch back. Like I said, the players have been brilliant all season. I’ll give them this one, but they’ve got to be better next week against Manchester United that’s for sure.

(Photo by Neville Williams/Aston Villa FC via Getty Images)

“We've got four games left. We want to try and get something from every match. Obviously today we wanted to win the game; that’s a fact, but that hasn’t happened. Next week, we want to make sure we react and bounce back and hopefully cause an upset."

On killing the game

The visitors looked comfortable when they led 2-0 in East London. They looked dangerous in the final third and assured in possession. Yet, their leading suddenly came under threat after a lack of concentration.

Ward believes her side had the opportunity to seal victory at 2-0, but did not take their chances.

She said: “Yes [on if there was an opportunity to kill the game]. We were sloppy and giving the ball away. In the second goal, the Spurs player has nearly caught it and the referee has let it go and the third goal we’re not happy with.

"We’re disappointed with the goals we’ve conceded, because at 2-0 up we were cruising. Without being disrespectful, it was probably a bit too easy in the opening stages. I thought we took that for granted and took our foot off the gas. We can’t do that in this division."

On the referees and PGMOL

PGMOL have come under heavy scrutiny in recent weeks after several incorrect decisions in the Premier League. They have firmly supported the women's game, but still use part-time officials in the WSL.

Several managers have vented their frustration at the situation, and Carla Ward is no different. She believes PGMOL must improve their process in the WSL.

Ward said: “The PGMOL talk very loudly about their association with the women’s game. We’re not blaming the officials; we’re saying that the PGMOL have to do more. They want to say they’re supporting us, but why don’t they support us like they do with the men's game.

"That’s the reality, because, at the minute, they’re not. If they’re really serious about the WSL, then they need to give the officials everything they need tool wise to be able to do their job properly."

On Rachel Daly

Daly has been one of the star players in the WSL, and currently sits second in the golden boot race. Her performances have helped Aston Villa secure fifth in the table.

Daly scored twice against Spurs to help her side rescue a point, and Ward believes she is massively important to the team.

She said: “Massively important [for the team]. We brought her in because we knew we needed goals and she’s given us that. She’s on 23 goals for the season now which is sensational.