Villa are the 17th different club to play in the WSL, which began in 2011.

This is their first league meeting with Man City since 2013, when both clubs were playing in the lower tiers.

Image source, The FA

Villa are having their best spell of the game so far now. Their pressing inside the Man City half is particularly impressive.

Portugal's Diana Silva is causing some problems for the Man City defence at the other end, but her latest cross is knocked behind by Emma Follis.

Moments later, the hosts have the ball in the net as debutants Ramona Petzelberger and Stine Larsen get in behind the City defence, but the flag is up.

Image source, The FA

Georgia Stanway almost has a hat-trick after a third defensive lapse, as a clearance from Sian Rogers is intercepted and squared straight to Stanway, but she fires over the bar. The offside flag was up, sparing her blushes slightly, and Villa's.

Laura Bassett
Former England defender on BBC Radio 5 Live

It's poor from Aston Villa. It's all about decision-making.

When you have a goal kick the ball is on the floor and you have ultimate control.

They obviously have worked on playing it out, but if the execution isn't there you have to change the plan. It seems they're not capable of doing that.

I'm not sure which of Georgia Stanway's goals was easier. It's been a half to forget for the Villa defence, and that's an understatement.

This is not the way they will have imagined their top-flight debut going.

More danger for the Villa defence as Georgia Stanway goes close once again.

Man City - who missed out on last season's title by 0.1 points per game - are very much on top.

Villa give the ball away in defence again but this time Georgia Stanway clips an effort over the crossbar from just outside the D.

Man City also scored the first goal of last season's WSL - against Manchester United at the Etihad Stadium.

That one was a proper screamer, a piledriver from long range from Caroline Weir.

Not so this year.

Steph Houghton picks out Chloe Kelly on the left wing with a peach of a cross-field ball, but Kelly's cross is turned behind for a corner.

Kelly seems to be City's regular outlet so far, and it's working. She looks so lively.

And the silence that greeted that goal was extremely weird.

It felt greater because of the fact City didn't even really celebrate themselves. Even their bench didn't cheer, perhaps feeling it would be impolite to the Villa defence, after being completely gifted a goal.

Laura Bassett
Former England defender on BBC Radio 5 Live

That's a really disappointing goal to concede. So far Aston Villa have defended really well and cleared the danger but the defender and the goalkeeper weren't on the same wavelength.

Georgia Stanway sensed that she could force a mistake and it was an easy tap-in in the end.

Image source, The FA

England winger Chloe Kelly has had a very good first five minutes of league action in a Man City shirt.

She gets in behind the Villa defence again down the left and again Georgia Stanway is denied by a block in the middle.

Moments later, Sam Mewis has the ball in the net after a square ball across goal from Kelly, but the offside flag is up.

City have been ominously dangerous in attack so far.

Laura Bassett
Former England defender on BBC Radio 5 Live

Sam Mewis really should have put Man City ahead. It was a great ball over the full-back for Chloe Kelly and you can she is the player to get the ball to.

She will make things happen and get balls into the box.

Phil Neville - England head coach until next summer - is among the small number of people here at Villa Park watching this game from the near-empty stands. His side face Germany in a friendly next month.

Man City almost score from the first attack of the season.

New signing Chloe Kelly is released down the left wing, crosses in low, and then Georgia Stanway's effort in the middle in saved and Sam Mewis heads inches wide from the rebound.

Very nearly a goal inside Sam Mewis' first minute of WSL action...

Now every single player and all the officials take a knee, in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement.

And, after nearly 4,700 hours without a ball being kicked, the WSL gets back under way!

Man City's Georgia Stanway gets us going...

Before kick-off, there's a minute's applause to show appreciation for the NHS and all key workers.

All the players are stood around the centre circle.