Rachel Daly celebrating her goal versus Arsenal. Photo credit: Aston Villa
Cast your mind back to Aston Villa this time last year. Finishing 10th in the WSL and having managed to score a mere 13 goals throughout their entire season, Villa were certainly lacking quality in the team. With players departing such as retiree Anita Asante, loanee Jill Scott and forward Shania Hayes, as well as last season’s top goalscorer Remi Allen out with an ACL injury, all eyes were on manager Carla Ward in the summer transfer window. If she was serious about turning this team around and avoiding the relegation battle in the upcoming season, she would have to make some statement signings. And that she did.
On the 9th of August 2022, Aston Villa announced the signing of 31 year old striker Rachel Daly. Daly was returning to English football after 9 years in the USA, having played 7 seasons at NWSL team Houston Dash, including a loan spell at West Ham. Daly left Houston as their captain and all-time top goalscorer, having netted 37 season goals. An experienced striker was just what Villa needed, yet nobody could have predicted the impact that she would have on their upcoming season.
This was more than evident in the opening game of the season, in a 4-3 win versus Manchester City. From the off, Rachel Daly’s part to play in this Villa team was evident. She set the tone for Villa’s ruthless season, her desire to get in front of goal meaning that she could create a goalscoring opportunity out of nowhere.
Daly’s first goal for Villa came in this game. Having a corner be cleared and then intercepted from Alisha Lehmann, Daly produced the perfect strike, curling her foot right around the ball to put it top right corner, and put Villa two goals up. Although going on to concede three, another goal from Daly and one from summer signing Kenza Dali gifted Villa their first 3 points of the season in defeating a top four team that was very much expected to win. This game kickstarted Villa’s relentless season and showed exactly why signing such a ruthless striker was going to be quite literally game-changing.
Whilst Daly’s individual performances have been nothing short of incredible, it’s her link-ups within the squad that have taken Aston Villa to the next level. Villa also brought midfielder Kenza Dali in August, from Everton, to fill the number ten role. This was the start of a partnership that would crucial for the team’s success. The Dali-Daly link up became quite renowned over the course of the season, with the pair previously having played together during Daly’s loan spell at West Ham. This was more than evident in Villa’s 3-1 victory over Reading in November, with Dali’s corner cross pinpointing the head of Daly, to bag her second of three goals that evening. It’s partnerships like these that look seamless, like they’ve been playing together for years. That deeper understanding of your teammates is what earns you goals and effectively performances like that, when knowing where they’ll be on the pitch becomes second nature.
Unsurprisingly, Rachel Daly was named Barclay’s WSL Player of the Season, after taking Villa on their season campaign that surpassed all expectation. Netting an incredible 22 goals and 6 assists in 22 matches in the WSL, Daly won the golden boot, equalling Vivianna Miedema’s record goal total and becoming the first English player to win since Ellen White in 2018. In perspective, Daly alone scored 9 more goals than Villa managed across their entire 21/22 campaign.
Rachel Daly also played a huge role in Aston Villa’s impressive FA Cup campaign. After a staggering 11-0 win over AFC Fylde in which she bagged 4 goals, and a successful penalty shoot-out against West Ham, Villa faced the tough draw of Manchester City in the quarter-finals. After Castellano cancelling out Rachel Corsie’s early goal, a 96 minute goal from who else but Rachel Daly took Villa to the FA Cup semi-finals for the first time in the club’s history.
It may have been a tap in, coming off City keeper Ellie Roebuck, but goals like that optimise Rachel Daly and her impact on this Villa team. For a number nine, consistency is everything. Long range, short range, wonder goals or tap ins, in times of need, Daly always seems to be in the right place at the right time to change scorelines. And that’s not luck, but rather intelligence and the ability to read the pitch like no one else.
Daly’s season of club success will have certainly given England manager Sarina Wiegman some food for thought. At international level, Daly predominantly played as a left-back, with the Lionesses having an abundance of attacking options but less so for full-backs. Many England fans who didn’t follow the NWSL hadn’t seen her true potential as a forward. However, since Ellen White’s retirement after England’s summer success, there has been deliberation over who becomes the country’s starting striker. It now seems unquestionable that Daly takes that number 9 spot, having proved herself over her club season. This is exactly where she has been playing for England recently, for instance scoring both goals in a 2-1 win versus Italy which contributed to England retaining their Arnold Clark Cup title. With her place at the 2023 World Cup confirmed and her position set as a striker, she will be one of England’s most crucial players as they set to bring the trophy home.
The arrival of Rachel Daly has transformed Aston Villa from a depleted and tired team into a ruthless and progressive squad who look like they could walk into a game and beat anybody. They may still be seen as underdogs against the top teams but they have certainly given them a run for their money and will be looking to match their pace next season. A player who can turn around a team from fighting relegation to knocking on the doors of the top four in a single season, is no doubt worthy of every award that Daly has collected this season.
Written by Emily Cleland
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