READING FC WOMEN will be hoping to pick up their second win of the season when they travel to face Aston Villa on Sunday.
The Royals put pay to a run of 14 games in the Women’s Super League without a win when they clinched a dramatic win at home to Leicester City with two stoppage time strikes from Rachel Rowe.
Reading were then brought back down to earth after a 3-0 home loss to Manchester city the following week which leaves Kelly Chambers’ team in 11th position heading into this Sunday’s fixture.
After six matches, the Royals have three points, level with 10th placed Liverpool and three above bottom side Leicester who have lost all seven of their league games this season.
Villa have had a decent start to the season and have picked up three wins and three losses in their opening quarter of the season.
They opened their WSL season with a remarkable victory over Man City in an enthralling 4-3 contest. They had been 3-2 down, but turned the game around as new signing, and Lionesses star, Rachel Daly clinched the winner.
Daly, who features mostly as a full-back at international level, has shown her unique versatility as a striker for Villa and has already scored five WSL goals in six matches since joining the club from Houston Dash in the summer.
After three consecutive losses against West Ham, Everton and Chelsea, Villa got back to winning ways in their last match before the international break.
They got the better of Liverpool away from home thanks to Daly’s second-half penalty which proved to be the only goal of the game.
Their victory on Merseyside ensured that Carla Ward’s team moved up to sixth place in the WSL.
Reading’s last trip to face Villa ended in a 1-1 stalemate in March.
The Royals went ahead from the penalty spot through Justine Vanhaevermaet, but Ramona Peltzelberger quickly levelled up to see the points shared.
Meanwhile, Reading collected all three points when the teams met at the Select Car Leasing Stadium in October 2021 after a marvellous first-half display.
Reading blew their opponents away in the opening half with goals from Amalie Eikeland, Rachel Rowe and Natasha Dowie.
