Aston Villa defender Maz Pacheco says that the club’s opening day fixture against Manchester United can go either way.
The Villans kick-off the new Barclays Women’s Super League season against The Red Devils in front of a potential five-figure crowd at Villa Park on Sunday.
Both sides enjoyed progressive campaigns in 2022/2023 while they have strengthened their respective squads in the summer transfer window. When speaking to the WSL Press Pack, Aston Villa defender Pacheco admitted that anything could happen when the two sides meet in the Midlands this weekend.
“In terms of preparing for Manchester United, we know it’s going to be tough,” Pacheco said. “Based on last season, I think they’ll be preparing for us like they would prepare for a top four (team).
“We know we can take points but they know they can take points, so it can go one way or another and I think we both know it. We’re all really excited.”
Pacheco went on to explain that the top end of the Barclays Women’s Super League table is no longer a mini-league in its own right. Evolving teams like Aston Villa are now commanding full respect from all higher-ranked opponents.
She said “I’ve played in the league for a long time and it very much felt like the top three had their own league and then it was just the rest of the teams. Now, you can see teams are closing the gap and us being one of them.
“It was just the mentality at Villa, it wasn’t ‘oh we’re playing the top four’, it was ‘we can get three points today’. I think you can tell with how teams are preparing for us, how focused they are on a gameday. We can just feel that their vibe is completely different, I think they know we can take points away.
“I think it’s a very mutual respect and I think we’re getting it from the top four as well.”
With Aston Villa commanding more respect from their opponents than ever before, Pacheco said that the team will have to work harder to find different ways to overcome challenges this season.
“That’s what we’ve been speaking about as a team, it’s the changing point,” Pacheco said. “Teams aren’t going to underestimate, they’re going to prepare.
“We need to prepare even harder, we need to push even harder and I think that’s where it becomes a tactical game with Wardy (Carla Ward) because everyone has seen what we did last season, so it’s like ‘what can we change?’ We’re always looking for ways to get better – obviously I can’t tell you what ways.
“There’s definitely a plan in place and trying to push for Champions League, we need to bridge that gap as well.”
Aston Villa’s opening Barclays Women’s Super League fixture of the season against Manchester United kicks-off at 12.30pm on Sunday afternoon.
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