Carla Ward tells Aston Villa Women: Don’t get carried away

Carla Ward urged her Villa side to remember they have “won nothing” so far ahead of today’s match against West Ham in the Women’s Super League.

Aston Villa manager Carla Ward watching during the warmup during the Barclays FA Women's Super League match at the LV Bet Stadium Meadow Park, Borehamwood. Picture date: Sunday May 1, 2022. PA Photo. See PA story SOCCER Arsenal Women. Photo credit should read: Steve Paston/PA Wire...RESTRICTIONS: EDITORIAL USE ONLY No use with unauthorised audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or "live" services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications..

Villa remain unbeaten after their first two matches this season, including a memorable 4-3 win over Manchester City on the opening day of the campaign.

They currently sit third in the table, but Ward wants her side to remain grounded.

“Everyone’s getting excited but I have to remind them we’re only two (league) games in,” she told the club’s Twitter account.

“The message is clear that we’ve won nothing. We’ve got off to a good start but there’s still a lot of work to do.”

When asked about West Ham, who have won one and lost one so far this season, Ward said: “I really like them. Wholehearted, front-footed, aggressive. They’re a really good side, they’ve got a lot of quality. They’ve got a lot of experienced players in that group.”

However, Ward could face having a slightly depleted squad for the game as her side look to extend their unbeaten run.

“We’ve had a bit of a bug that’s gone through the squad this week which hasn’t been ideal,” she added.

“Some will be assessed this morning and then we’ll have to make a judgement call on whether they’re going to be fit enough to make the game tomorrow.”