Carla Ward has described Aston Villa’s Vitality Women’s FA Cup semi-final with Chelsea as the biggest game in the club’s history but stressed they haven’t achieved anything yet.
The original Solihull FC were launched in 1973 before becoming involved with Aston Villa in 1989 and being officially recognised as Aston Villa Ladies in 1996.
There was an FA Women’s Premier League Cup win in 2013 before the team were renamed Aston Villa Women in 2019, with the club going on to win the Barclays Women’s Championship the following summer.
The 2020-21 campaign was the first time Villa had played in the top flight since 2004 and after 10th and then 9th place finishes, new boss Ward has guided the Villains up to fifth place this season following some successful recruitment, which included the arrivals of England internationals Rachel Daly, Jordan Nobbs and Lucy Staniforth.
On Sunday, Aston Villa will take on the reigning champions Chelsea in the semi-final of the Women’s FA Cup with the prospect of playing at Wembley on Saturday 14 May up for grabs.
“This is the biggest game of our season and is probably the biggest game in Aston Villa Women’s short history,” Ward told Villa TV.
“Anybody that tells you that they don’t dream of getting to an FA Cup Final from a young age, I don’t believe them.
“Whatever level of the game you are involved in, you want to walk out at Wembley and if we can do that with this Aston Villa side, then I would be delighted because we have had a really good season, but this would top it off.
“We have had some really good moments this season but to get to Wembley – for the fans, for this football club, the staff and the players – would be the biggest moment.”
A moment to remember for @AVWFCOfficial 😍
— Vitality Women's FA Cup (@VitalityWFACup) April 12, 2023
The @Vitality_UK Moment of the Round for the #WomensFACup quarter-finals was @RachelDaly3's extra time winner 🌟
Will she produce some magic again this weekend? pic.twitter.com/J4sFwsFt8w
The two sides faced each other two weeks ago in the final game before the international break, with Chelsea winning 3-0.
The Blues have claimed the Barclays Women’s Super League in four of the last five seasons and lifted the Women’s FA Cup in three of those campaigns.
Ward described Emma Hayes’ side as ‘mentality monsters’ and believes her side are coming up against the best team in the land.
She said: “The mentality must be to try to win the game and we will look to do that however we need to.
“It will be a different approach to the league game, as I’m sure it will be for Chelsea, so hopefully we can be on the winning side.”
"We have to know that it's 90 minutes to get to Wembley." 🎦 @cwardy7
— Aston Villa Women (@AVWFCOfficial) April 13, 2023
She continued: “We are all proud of what we have achieved but we haven’t achieved anything yet and that is the reality.
“We want to get to the final and from there we want to compete. Chelsea are the best team in England for me so it is going to be tough.”
Aston Villa are expecting thousands in attendance at the Bescot Stadium, a home they share with Walsall.
Tickets are available online until kick-off at 2.15pm, starting at £12 for adults, £8 for under-18s and £6 for under-16s, with those unable to attend able to watch the match on BBC One.
Ward said: “The fans can be huge for us. The attendance has been getting bigger and bigger and that is a credit to how we have been playing.
“There is going to be a big number there and our fans have been sensational this season. They are turning out in their numbers and hopefully they can be louder than they have ever been this weekend.”
Maybe stick to the football 🫣
— Vitality Women's FA Cup (@VitalityWFACup) April 14, 2023
We challenged FA Cup semi-finalists, @Zmo10 and @kaoru_mitoma to create their own tin foil trophy 🏆
Watch now: https://t.co/BAZ46nbmlz#WomensFACup x #EmiratesFACup pic.twitter.com/QF7zRy1cIl
The two sides will head into their clash knowing who they would face at Wembley Stadium on Sunday 14 May.
On Saturday, Brighton and Hove Albion and Manchester United will also be looking to reach their first Women’s FA Cup final, with kick-off at Leigh Sports Village 5.15pm and tickets available for £6 for adults and £3 for concessions.
The match, which will also be shown live on BBC Two, is new Brighton head coach Melissa Phillips’ first game in charge.
Phillips had previously been head coach at London City Lionesses before moving to Angel City as assistant coach in January.
Phillips said: "First of all it's a great achievement by the squad to get to a semi-final and we see it as a great opportunity for us.
“Looking back at the league game, I don't think 4-0 was an indictment of our performance. For 60 to 70 minutes we were well organised and created some good chances.
"If we can shore up lapses in the six-yard box I'm sure we can cause them problems. Manchester United have some incredible threats and are an exceptionally well-coached team but we will be competitive that's for sure."
🌟 @LilKeets shining bright in the #WomensFACup 🫶#MUWomen
— Manchester United Women (@ManUtdWomen) April 13, 2023
They face a Manchester United side who are currently top of the Barclays Women’s Super League table and have a host of England stars among their ranks, namely Mary Earps, Ella Toone and Alessia Russo, to name a few.
Like Ward, Manchester United boss Marc Skinner has stressed the importance of the home crowd heading into the potentially historic clash, with a first FA Cup Final place on the line.
“It could be a cliche to talk about home advantage, but it really is a home advantage for us,” he told club media.
“Our fans make it a cauldron for everybody that comes to play us there and that’s why our results are so good.
“We perform because of the energy that we get from our fans.”
