Manager Rehanne Skinner has named an unchanged West Ham United women’s team from the side that hammered Crystal Palace 7-1 last weekend for Sunday’s Barclays Women’s Super League encounter with Aston Villa.
Thanks to four goals from Shekiera Martinez, a brace from Emma Harries and a sumptuous lob from Viviane Asseyi, the three points at the VBS Community Stadium was the Irons’ biggest-ever WSL victory.
And now, five games unbeaten, the women’s team will look to bring the curtain down on a brilliant home campaign with a positive result against the Villains at Chigwell Construction Stadium.
For the visit of Natalia Arroyo’s side, who themselves have won their last three matches, Skinner has named the same starting XI in back-to-back matches for the first time this season.
But whilst the starting line-up is unchanged, there is one alteration to the matchday squad as Manuela Paví is named on the substitutes' bench, in place of Dagný Brynjarsdóttir.
Kinga Szemik, who has kept two clean sheets in her last four matches, is once again between the sticks, and she will be protected by a back four consisting of Verena Hanshaw, Amber Tysiak, Shelina Zadorsky and Anouk Denton.
Meanwhile, captain Katrina Gorry, who provided an exquisite assist for Asseyi when the two sides met at Villa Park in December, and Finland international Oona Siren will marshal the midfield in east London.
The interchangeable front four will consist of Women’s Football Icon winner Asseyi, Martinez, who is up for the WSL’s Player of the Month award following impressive performances in April, Seraina Piubel and Riko Ueki.
Skinner has nine substitutes to turn to on Sunday: goalkeeper Megan Walsh, defenders Camila Sáez, Kirsty Smith and Eva Nyström, midfielder Marika Bergman Lundin, and forwards Emma Harries, Soraya Walsh, Paví and Princess Ademiluyi.
West Ham United: Szemik, Denton, Zadorsky, Tysiak, Hanshaw, Siren, Gorry ©, Martinez, Asseyi, Piubel, Ueki
Subs: M.Walsh (GK), Smith, Sáez, Nyström, Bergman Lundin, Harries, Paví, Ademiluyi, S. Walsh
Aston Villa: D’Angelo, Patten, Kearns, Nobbs, Daly ©, Parker, Maritz, Salmon, Grant, Taylor, Pacheco
Subs: Kelly (GK), Mayling, Corsie, Robinson, Turner, Baijings, Maltby, Sorrentino
Referee: Stacey Pearson
