Aston Villa 0-3 Manchester City

Aston Villa Women returned to action on Saturday, losing 3-0 to Manchester City at Banks’s Stadium.

Villa produced an improved display in comparison to recent showings, but were undone by a Georgia Stanway double and a Vicky Losada tap-in.

The result leaves Carla Ward’s side in 10^th place, seven points above Leicester City who they will face next week.

Ward made five changes from her last starting XI which came a month ago against City’s neighbours United.

Anna Patten slotted straight into the heart of defence for her Villa debut, partnering Meaghan Sargeant.

Elsewhere, Laura Blindkilde Brown made a first ever league start for the club and Shania Hayles was given the nod up front.

It would be the visiting team who would assert their authority early on, and they would take the lead inside the first five minutes.

Georgia Stanway was allowed time and space to drive straight through the middle of Villa’s rearguard before seeing a strike deflect off Sargeant and nestle in the corner beyond the reach of Hannah Hampton.

Matters were made worse when Sargeant was later forced to withdraw with an apparent injury, making way for Olivia McLoughlin.

City then doubled their lead shortly after when a fine team move was finished off by Losada from a yard out.

Villa battled throughout the afternoon and continued to do so deep into the second half, but City’s class would show as Stanway expertly turned in a third during the closing stages.

The Villans will take encouragement from Saturday’s display before a pivotal meeting with the Foxes next weekend.