Aston Villa head coach Carla Ward says that her side respect latest opponents Chelsea but they don’t fear them.
The two clubs will contest a Vitality Women’s FA Cup semi-final tie at The Poundland Bescot Stadium this afternoon. Chelsea will be seen as the favourites to reach Wembley, however, Aston Villa have already beaten the likes of Manchester United and Manchester City in the domestic cup competitions this season.
The two sides last met just a fortnight ago, Chelsea recording a 3-0 win in a Barclays Women’s Super League fixture. When speaking in the pre-match press conference, Aston Villa boss Ward said that her side have learnt lessons from that defeat and they will go into this afternoon’s clash with no fear.
“We always respect them but never fear them has to be the message,” Ward said. “They’re an unbelievable side with an abundance of world-class talent but it’s a one-off game.
“That game before the international break will probably help us a lot, we’ve learnt an awful lot from it, so it’s about taking that into the game and trying to seize the opportunity.”
With Aston Villa having never previously contested a Vitality Women’s FA Cup semi-final, this afternoon’s fixture is huge for the club. Ward didn’t play down the occasion, she admitted that everyone is excited about the prospect of battling for a place at Wembley.
She said “It’s massive, there’s no dressing it up, it’s an FA Cup semi-final. As a young girl, you always dream of these moments, getting to Wembley, whether that’s as a player, manager, coach or a staff member.
“There’s an excitement growing because there’s an opportunity, it’s 90 minutes away from Wembley. I’m not going to hide it, we’re excited for sure.”
Aston Villa’s Vitality Women’s FA Cup semi-final tie against Chelsea kicks-off at 2.15pm. Limited tickets will be available to purchase on the turnstiles at The Poundland Bescot Stadium on a ‘card only’ basis.