MatchWSL: Eight stats to know ahead of Aston Villa v Liverpool

The Reds resume their WSL season with a trip to Poundland Bescot Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

Here are eight interesting facts to know before the 2pm GMT kick-off...

Liverpool will visit Villa in the WSL for just the second time, with the first such meeting ending in a 3-3 draw at Villa Park last season.

The Reds have won one of their three WSL meetings with Villa (drawn one, lost one), with their only victory coming earlier this season when goals from Marie Höbinger and Natasha Flint earned a 2-0 result at Prenton Park.

After a 1-0 victory over Brighton & Hove Albion last time out, Liverpool could win back-to-back WSL games for the first time since the opening two matches of this season, the second of which came against Villa.

The Reds are aiming to win back-to-back away matches in the WSL for the first time since October 2018.

Liverpool have won six of their 14 WSL games this season (drawn four, lost four), equalling their total number of wins from 22 top-flight fixtures in 2022-23 (drew five, lost 11).

The Reds are just one point away from matching their overall points tally in the competition from last term (23), last amassing more in the 2017-18 campaign (28).

Liverpool manager Matt Beard has drawn his two previous WSL away games against Aston Villa (2-2 with Bristol City in April 2021 and 3-3 with Liverpool in this fixture on the penultimate matchday of last season).

Beard’s next victory in the WSL will put him outright fifth for most managerial wins in the competition’s history, ahead of Joe Montemurro (53 currently).