West Ham United Women are back at home in the Barclays Women’s Super League for the first time in over a month when they welcome Aston Villa to east London on Sunday.
Paul Konchesky’s Hammers are looking to pick up their first win of the calendar year in the WSL – and having been beaten by Reading last weekend, it’s a chance for the team to get back on track.
Having met so recently, both sides will know a good deal about one-another, and Konchesky will be hoping that his side can come out of the contest with all three points.
Here’s everything you need to know about the clash at Chigwell Construction Stadium.
Tickets...
Tickets are available for the match against Villa on Sunday and are priced from as little as £13 for Adults and £5 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...
Sunday’s WSL match against Villa will be broadcast live on The FA Player, with coverage beginning just before the scheduled 3pm kick-off.
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.
Travel...
Fans attending Sunday’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.
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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.
There is engineering work taking place on both C2C and Greater Anglia services this weekend which may affect your journey.
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.
Team News...
Dagný Brynjarsdóttir is a doubt for the clash in Dagenham on Sunday. The Irons Captain missed the 2-1 defeat to Reading last weekend through illness and it's unclear as to whether she will be available for selection at this stage.
Amber Tysiak has continued with her rehabilitation from an injury that she sustained back in January, whilst Jess Ziu is making good progress with her ACL injury - but neither will be available on Sunday afternoon.
The Opposition...
There are certainly a few former Hammers to watch out for on Sunday afternoon. 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.
Villa are unbeaten in their last five Barclays Women's Super League matches and 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.
Last time out, they beat Everton 2-0 at Walton Hall Park, and in their previous outing, they reached the quarter finals of the Vitality Women's FA Cup with a win over the Hammers on penalties.
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 and look to be the 'best of the rest' this season.
