West Ham United Women v Aston Villa
Vitality Women’s FA Cup fifth round, Chigwell Construction Stadium, Sunday 26 February 2023, 3pm
West Ham United Women are back in action this weekend as they look to book their place in the last eight of the Vitality Women’s FA Cup.
After a short break in which twelve players have been away on international duty, the group is back together and preparing for another tough test – this time against WSL opposition.
Aston Villa smashed Women’s National League side AFC Fylde 11-0 to reach the fifth round but will face a much sterner test in east London on Sunday.
Tickets…
Tickets are available for the match against Villa on Sunday and are priced from as little as £10 for Adults and £4 for Juniors.
Tickets can be purchased online until 2pm on the day of the match, or from the ticket office at Chigwell Construction Stadium, which opens at 1:30pm on Sunday.
How to follow
The only way to watch the action on Sunday is to be at Chigwell Construction Stadium!
You can also follow the action across our social media channels, while highlights and exclusive reactions will follow after the final whistle on whufc.com.
Team News…
With eleven international players returning from action throughout the February break, Paul Konchesky will have to access his squad after Friday’s training session to see who is fit and available.
Jess Ziu is the only confirmed absentee, as she continues to recover from the ACL injury that she sustained in early October.
Travel...
Fans attending Thursday’s fixture at Chigwell Construction Stadium should note that parking is not available at the ground, so supporters are advised to make use of public transport.
If you are driving to the ground from the north, leave the M25 at Junction 27 and take the M11 towards London. At the end of the M11 continue onto the A406 towards Docklands (A13) and London City Airport. At the intersection with the A13, turn onto this road in the direction of the Dartford Crossing.
At the junction with the A1306, leave the A13 and join the A1306 towards Dagenham. At the third set of traffic lights turn left just before the McDonalds into Ballards Road. At the end of this road, you will come to a large roundabout.
Get your tickets for Sunday's game now!
Turn left and proceed up Rainham Road South, passing Dagenham East tube station on the left and Victoria Road is a quarter of a mile further on, on the same side of the road.
If driving to the ground from the south, leave the M25 at Junction 31 and take the A13 towards Central London. Exit the A13 onto the slip road, signposted Dagenham/Dagenham East. At the end of the slip road at the double roundabout turn right, then go under the A13. At the T-junction turn left onto the A1306. At the second set of lights turn right onto the B178.
At the end of this road you will come to a large roundabout. Turn left and proceed up Rainham Road South, passing Dagenham East tube station on the left and Victoria Road is a quarter of a mile further on, on the same side of the road.
Supporters are advised to check their journeys before travel, with resources such as TfL's Journey Planner or the TfL Go app helping to plan your journey.
Supporters may also wish to visit the National Rail website to plan their journey if travelling on the rail network.
The Opposition
There are certainly a few former Hammers to watch on Sunday afternoon, as Aston Villa travel to the Chigwell Construction Stadium for a place in the quarter-finals of the Vitality Women’s FA Cup.
Alisha Lehmann, Maz Pacheco, Kenza Dali, Rachel Daly and Anna Leat all played their trade in east London but could potentially line up against their former Club today.
With six wins from their first 13 league games, Aston Villa, like West Ham, sit just outside the ‘Big Four’ of the WSL and are looking to disrupt the status quo.
Villa will present a stern test for Paul Konchesky’s side, make no mistake. While the Hammers prevailed in the first league meeting by a 2-1 scoreline, the Villains’ convincing win over Tottenham Hotspur in January and a memorable 4-3 victory over Manchester City in September last year shows that the West Midlands club are certainly heading in the right direction under Carla Ward.
Ward has been the head coach at Aston Villa Women since June 2021. She had recently resigned from her post at Birmingham City, before making the move across the west Midlands. Her time at the Blues was defined by off-field issues, although she was impressive in a challenging role. She described her spell as “enjoyable chaos” with Birmingham City kept in the top flight, despite a points deduction in May 2021 for fielding an ineligible player.
Now nearly two years into her role at Villa, the former midfielder will be seeking to push the club into the top half of the Barclays Women’s Super League.
