Aston Villa emerged victorious against Leicester City in the Women’s Super League, with Rachel Daly proving to be the decisive factor.

BURTON-UPON-TRENT, ENGLAND – JANUARY 19: Aston Villa’s Rachel Daly was the hero of the day as she scored the only goal in their crucial 1-0 victory over Leicester City at the Pirelli Stadium. This win has propelled Villa from ninth to seventh place in the Women’s Super League, surpassing Leicester in the process.

Coach Carla Ward made four changes to the Villa lineup, bringing in Daphne van Domselaar, Noelle Maritz, Laura Blindkilde, and Alisha Lehmann.

Leicester started the game with great intensity, putting Villa on the back foot. However, it was Daly who broke the deadlock with a surprise goal from a corner in the 15th minute, giving Villa the lead.

Lehmann had a chance to double Villa’s advantage just seven minutes later, but her effort was denied by Leicester goalkeeper Janina Leitzig. Shannon O’Brien came close to equalizing for Leicester with a header that required a save from Van Domselaar.

Villa continued to push for a second goal before halftime, with Adriana Leon’s powerful shot narrowly missing the target.

Leicester manager Willie Kirk made two changes at halftime, introducing Deanne Rose and Josie Green to inject some energy into the game. Rose almost made an immediate impact as her cross found Nicole Momiki unmarked, but Van Domselaar made a crucial save to deny Leicester.

Leon continued to trouble the Leicester defense, but Leitzig was equal to her efforts. Leicester had a chance to equalize in the 74th minute when Mayumi Pacheco slipped, but Rose failed to capitalize on the opportunity.

With three minutes remaining, Rose found herself through on goal, but Van Domselaar once again came to Villa’s rescue. Ava Baker’s follow-up attempt was cleared off the line by Sarah Mayling.

Villa held on to secure a valuable three points, leaving Leicester without a win in their last nine Women’s Super League matches. This victory has given Villa a much-needed boost in the league standings and will surely be celebrated by their fans.