Aston Villa reached the quarterfinals of the Adobe Women’s FA Cup with a battling 3-2 win over Brighton. Anna Patten, Rachel Daly and Chasity Grant all got on the scoresheet for Natalia Arroyo’s side while Nikita Parris notched a brace.
The Action
New Aston Villa manager Natalia Arroyo had her first taste of the FA Cup as her side saw off Brighton in a five-goal thriller. The sketchy pitch at the Poundland Bescot Stadium in freezing conditions provided the quintessential FA Cup experience as the two Barclays WSL sides went head-to-head.
Arroyo stuck with the same starting line-up that had performed so admirably against Chelsea the previous week. Anna Patten and Lucy Parker continued their partnership at centre-back while Gabi Nunes led the line, with Rachel Daly sitting just behind in the pocket.
Dario Vidošić, in contrast, opted for two changes. New signing Nadine Noordam was handed her first start for the Seagulls in the absence of Maisie Symonds through suspension, while Jorelyn Carabalí came in to shore up the defence with Pauline Bremer dropping to the bench.
While Villa started the brightest, controlling the ball and stretching Brighton’s creaking defensive structure, it was the visitors who took the lead. A miscommunication between Parker and Sabrina d’Angelo led to a loose back pass that Nikita Parris pounced on. The advantage lasted all of 70 seconds, however, with Patten turning home a corner at the back post with the final kick of the first half.
It proved the perfect tonic for Villa who came out after the break all guns blazing. Daly popped up with a trademark header in the 50th minute before Chasity Grant turned on the pace to break through and slot her shot past a helpless Melina Loeck.
With the comfort of a two-goal cushion, Arroyo rang the changes as Jordan Nobbs, Daly and Nunes all departed the field. In hindsight, she might reflect that it was a little early as Brighton took advantage of Villa’s sudden disconnect. Parris pulled one back with a lifted finish after a superb touch from Madison Haley to set her up. Vidošić’s continued to push until the final whistle but could not force the game to extra time.
Stand Out Moment
Aston Villa’s Chasity Grant scored the goal of the game to her side two goals ahead early in the second half. Holding the timing of her run perfectly, she broke onto Rachel Daly’s perfectly-weighted through-ball. Bursting into the box, she picked her spot in the far corner, sending a low shot past an out-stretched Melina Loeck in the Brighton goal.
Stand Out Performance
Jordan Nobbs has so often this season been the cog in the Villa wheel. Sitting in the no. 6, she once again played a crucial role, linking defence to attack. Everything positive Villa constructed flowed through her. In addition, she added two more assists to her stat sheet setting up both Anna Patten and Rachel Daly with pinpoint deliveries.
Quote of the Day
“Imagining to be close to Wembley will be a dream come true. I asked them to make my dream possible, so let’s see what happens with the draw. We will fight until the end and if we’re close to being in the final, it will be amazing.”
Natalia Arroyo, Aston Villa
Teams
ASTON VILLA
Sabrina d’Angelo; Sarah Mayling, Anna Patten, Lucy Parker, Noelle Maritz; Jordan Nobbs, Jill Baijings; Chasity Grant, Rachel Daly (c), Kirsty Hanson; Gabí Nunes
Subs: Katelin Talbert; Missy Bo Kearns; Katie Robinson; Ebony Salmon; Miri Taylor; Paula Tomás; Danielle Turner
Manager: Natalia Arroyo
BRIGHTON
Melina Loeck; Jorelyn Carabalí, Maria Thórisdóttir, Guro Bergsvand, Poppy Pattinson; Nadine Noordam, Vicky Losada (c); Jelena Čanković; Rachel McLauchlan, Nikita Parris, Madison Haley
Subs: Sophie Baggaley; Michelle Agyemang; Pauline Bremer; Caitlin Hayes; Marisa Olislagers; Bex Rayner; Kiko Seike; Dejana Stefanović
Manager: Dario Vidošić
