Aston Villa Women’s wait for their first Women’s Super League victory of the season continues after Crystal Palace fought back to draw 1-1 at Villa Park.
Noëlle Maritz broke the deadlock after a goalless first half, but Abbie Larkin equalised in the 74th minute, as recorded in the Guardian’s live coverage.
Brian Sørensen’s first league match in interim charge therefore ended with a point.
Maritz goal cannot deliver Aston Villa breakthrough
Villa came into the afternoon looking to build on Wednesday’s 3-1 cup victory over Newcastle.
That match brought an immediate win for Sørensen, with Lucia Kendall’s late double settling the contest.
Kendall started against Palace, while fellow midweek scorer Lily Murphy began on the bench. Anna Patten captained the side, as detailed in our confirmed Aston Villa team news.
Maritz’s breakthrough offered the prospect of consecutive victories across two competitions. Palace’s response ensured Villa could not complete that turnaround.
Villa remain winless after five league games
The draw leaves Villa with three points from their opening five WSL fixtures, following earlier draws against Chelsea and Brighton and defeats by Manchester City and Tottenham.
Sørensen has now overseen a cup victory and a league draw since taking temporary charge following Natalia Arroyo’s departure.
That provides a platform to build on, but converting a winning position into three league points remains the next task.
