Villa create an opening through Kenza Dali on the right-hand side as she sends a great cross into the middle, but it's cleared.

She then does the same but this time finds Rachel Daly, who can't hit the target with her first-time flick.

A quiet opening few minutes with either side just feeling each other out.

United look to find a gap, but Sarah Mayling presses well to recover the ball.

The travelling Villa fans are in fine voice at Leigh Sports Village, too.

Lindsay Johnson
Ex-England defender on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

Carla Ward is slowly re-building this Villa side, and they are now moving in the right direction.

They did not have the start to the season that they wanted in any shape or form, they have lost seven games in the league already.

But they are now building momentum, grinding out wins. When you are in that sort of lull and not getting a good performance, they are getting those important 1-0 wins.

They have to go out today and believe they can beat this Manchester United side.

Here we go! Manchester United get the game started.

Image source, Getty Images

The teams are out at Leigh Sports Village for today's early game.

Who do you think will come out on top?

Hit the thumb's up for Manchester United, or the thumb's down for Aston Villa.

Want to have your say on today's Women's Super League action?

Get in touch via #bbcfootball on X, WhatsApp on 03301231826, or by texting 81111 (UK only, texts will be charged at your standard message rate).

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BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

You can listen to live coverage of today's early game via BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra by clicking the play icon at the top of this page.

Former England defender Lindsay Johnson is at Leigh Sports Village alongside Tom Gayle.

• Manchester United have won six of their seven WSL games against Aston Villa (D1) and could do a league double over the Villans for the third time in four seasons (also 2020-21 and 2022-23).
• Aston Villa have lost all three of their Women’s Super League away games against Manchester United by an aggregate score of 13-0, losing each of the last two by a 5-0 scoreline.
• Manchester United have lost their last two home league games, the first time they’ve ever lost consecutive home games in the Women’s Super League. They’d only lost one of their previous 21 on home soil before this run (W17 D3).
• Manchester United have lost three of their last five WSL matches (W2), after losing only three of their previous 36 games before this run (W26 D7). The Red Devils have lost their last two, never before losing three in a row in the WSL.

• Everton won each of their first three meetings with Leicester City in the Women’s Super League but have since gone two without victory against the Foxes (D1 L1), including a 1-0 loss this season.
• Leicester City could do a league double over an opponent in the WSL for the fourth time after doing so against each of Birmingham City (2021-22), Liverpool (2022-23) and Brighton and Hove Albion (2022- 23).
• Everton have lost four of their five home Women’s Super League matches this season (D1), having ended the 2022-23 season with four wins in their final seven home games (D1 L2).
• Leicester have picked up eight points in their last six away WSL matches (W2 D2 L2), more than they managed to win in their first 21 on the road in the competition (6 – W2 L19).

Brian Sorensen makes two changes to the Everton side beaten 2-1 at Arsenal last Saturday.

January signings Kathrine Moller Kuhl, on loan from Arsenal, and Rikke Madsen come in to start with Hanna Bennison and Karoline Olesen dropping to the bench.

Everton XI: Brosnan, Stenevik, Finnigan, Holmgaard, Payne, Kuhl, Wheeler, Galli, Bissell, Snoejis, Madsen.

Subs: Hart, Vanhaevermaet, Duggan, Bennison, Hope, Piemonte, Wilding, Olesen.

Image source, BBC/ Opta

It is also two changes for Leicester from their 1-0 home defeat by Aston Villa last Friday.

Willie Kirk makes a change in goal with Lize Kop replacing Janina Leitzig, while Josephine Green comes in for Sophie Howard.

Leicester XI: Kop, Cayman, Thibaud, Green, Nevin, Takarada, Tierney, Momiki, Rantala, O’Brien, Petermann.

Subs: Leitzig, Bott, Howard, Ale, Palmer, Whelan, Rose, Siemsen, Goodwin.

Image source, BBC/ Opta

Image source, Getty Images

Leicester thrashed Everton 5-1 in the Women's League Cup in midweek but Leicester boss Willie Kirk is treating them as "separate games"

“Some of work will be based on the Aston Villa , externalgame, and other bits will be based on the previous Everton game on Wednesday," said Kirk.

"We learn every game, and there’s still bits we want to improve on.

“We analyse our opponent, but I don’t think it will affect us mentality, the fact that we’ve already played them this week. I think Everton made more changes than we did on midweek so I think there will be more from them again this weekend as they return to full strength.”

Image source, Getty Images

Everton are yet to win at home in the WSL this season, but Brian Sorensen is hopeful that today's game against Leicester can change that.

“Any time that we play a team that is not one of the traditional ‘top four’, it is a good opportunity to showcase us,” said Sorensen. "It’s a league of the top four and then it’s the best of the rest battling for that fifth spot.

“Leicester are growing a lot, they’ve invested a lot whereas we haven’t been able to for known reasons.

“It’s getting closer and more competitive. We have to go out there every time and show our absolute best. We have shown that we are a good team and that we can compete with all of the other teams around us. We want to do that again against Leicester because it’s a game we know we can win and it’s an important game for league position.

“A win would give us a nice push going into the next set of games. We’ve got some of the teams around us at home, so it’s an important period but we are ready.”

You can watch live coverage of the game from Walton Hall Park at the top of the page, on BBC iPlayer or BBC Red Button.

Ellen White
Former England striker on BBC Women's Football Weekly podcast

Image source, Getty Images

A lot can be said about Marc Skinner but the players need to take a look at themselves as well. Are they going to have a group meeting?

As much as it is on the manager, the players obviously step on the pitch themselves and they need to perform.

There are world class players in that team and in that Chelsea game they did not perform to the standards that we know they can perform at.

Ellen White
Former England striker on BBC Women's Football Weekly podcast

Image source, Getty Images

I think Marc Skinner maybe overachieved last season, but I feel like the ambition of Manchester United is to be in the top three and winning trophies. It doesn’t look like the pressure is going away at the moment.

My thinking is that I don’t know if Champions League is enough, he needs to win a trophy. They need to put everything into that.

Last season, they got to an FA Cup final, were top [of the table] for a significant amount of time before finishing second, so it feels like there is a lot of expectation and pressure on that team now.

We’ll see how the next few games go. I think Villa is a must-win now. It has to be.

While Villa are on the rise, with four wins across their past five matches in all competitions, Manchester United are sliding down the WSL table.

Last year's runners-up haven't won in the league since 10 December and their only competitive victory in three matches in January has come against third-tier Newcastle United in the FA Cup.

The Red Devils are in fourth, six points ahead of Villa and 10 points behind leaders Chelsea, with some fans calling for manager Marc Skinner to leave the club.

Skinner joined in 2021 from Orlando Pride and his contract expires at the end of the season.

Maybe Skinner's fortunes will turn against Villa, a side United have beaten thanks to a late injury-time winner in each of their past two meetings.

Chelsea are now six points clear at the top of the Women's Super League after their 3-0 victory over Brighton yesterday.

Once again, it was Lauren James who shone for Chelsea.

She scored twice, bringing her total for the season up to 12 goals in 11 games.

You can watch highlights of yesterday's game below.

Available to UK users only

• READ MORE: James double helps WSL leaders Chelsea beat Brighton

Chelsea have a six-point advantage at the top of the Women's Super League table after they beat Brighton yesterday.

Manchester City and Arsenal, who both play today, could reduce that to three points.

Image source, Getty Images

Bristol City could move off the bottom of the WSL if they beat West Ham in their crucial relegation six-pointer at 14:00 GMT.

Image source, Getty Images

It's a very busy day of Women's Super League games, with five matches in four and a half hours.

Here's what's coming up today

• Manchester United v Aston Villa (12:00)
• Everton v Leicester (12:30)
• Bristol City v West Ham (14:00)
• Tottenham v Manchester City (14:00)
• Liverpool v Arsenal (16:30)

Marc Skinner makes two changes to the Manchester United side beaten 3-1 at Chelsea in their last WSL match.

Lisa Naalsund and Nikita Parris come into the XI, replacing Hayley Ladd and Leah Galton who drop to the bench.

Man Utd XI: Earps; Riviere, Turner, Le Tissier, Blundell; Naalsund, Zelem; Garcia, Toone, Geyse; Parris

Subs: Tullis-Joyce, Evans, Aherne, Galton, Guerrero, Ladd, Malard, Williams

Image source, Opta

There is just one change to the Aston Villa team which beat Leicester in the league last weekend, with Jordan Nobbs replacing fellow England international Lucy Staniforth in central midfield.

Carla Ward also picks Noelle Maritz, whose selection for the Continental Cup in midweek despite being cup-tied has left Villa in hot water.

Villa XI: Van Domselaar; Mayling, Patten, Corsie, Maritz; Dali, Nobbs, Blindkilde; Leon, Daly, Lehmann

Subs: Poor, Leat, Gregory, Salmon, Mullett, Hanson, Magill, Pacheco

Image source, Opta

Image source, Getty Images

We've got another big day of Women's Super League action on the way.

There's a big game at the bottom of the table as the bottom two - West Ham and Bristol City - meet at 14:00 GMT.

Manchester City and Arsenal both have a chance to reduce their deficit at the top of the table after Chelsea moved six points clear by beating Brighton.

We'll be bringing you live coverage of every game, with Manchester United v Aston Villa on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra and Leicester City v Everton available to watch on the BBC later.

We kick off the day with Manchester United's game, so let's take a look at the team news from that one.