The Second City derby returns to the Barclays Women's Super League this weekend as Aston Villa welcome Birmingham City to Villa Park, with valuable league points up for grabs.
With Birmingham having been relegated following the 2021/22 season, we've been denied a league meeting between the two West Midlands clubs for almost five years. Therefore, Sunday's meeting promises another intriguing chapter in the history between the clubs.
While Villa will be looking to use home advantage to strengthen their position in the standings, Birmingham arrive with a point to prove as they look to climb away from the relegation and play-off zone.
History between the clubs
Since Villa's return to the top flight ahead of the 2020/21 season, their modern WSL meetings have been relatively limited but have rarely lacked the drama we've come to expect from derbies.
Birmingham claimed the first league victory between the sides in November 2020, winning 1-0 through Claudia Walker's second-half strike.
The following season brought two closely-fought encounters. Veatriki Sarri rescued a point at the death with a 90th minute equalisier, cancelling out Freya Gregory's first-half goal.
However, the Villains got their revenge later that year, with Anita Asante scoring the only goal in a 1-0 victory at St Andrew's in November 2021. This marked Villa's first victory over their local rivals.
Despite relegation to the second tier in 2022, Birmingham had the final say in their last BWSL meeting at Villa Park. In May 2022, Sarri scored the only goal of the game to secure a 1-0 victory for the Blues, handing them a memorable derby day triumph on Villa's home turf.
With the Greek forward still on Birmingham's books after spells away at Everton and Brighton, it makes for a particularly exciting narrative ahead of the derby.
The two sides have continued to meet in domestic cup competitions, including a dramatic 3-3 draw in late 2025, before Birmingham prevailed on penalties.
Most recently the sides met in late October in the newly-reformed Subway Players Cup competition. A late equalisier from Martha Harris sent the match to penalties where Villa prevailed.
How have both teams fared this season?
The two clubs enter the derby with different objectives after the opening weeks of the 2026/27 BWSL campaign.
Villa have established themselves midtable, while Birmingham have struggled to find their feet after promotion, currently sitting 13th in the play-off spot.
For the Villains, their campaign has seen encouraging results, including victories over both Merseyside clubs and a draw against Arsenal at the Emirates Stadium.
Birmingham, meanwhile, have faced a difficult start on their return to the division. Their opening results have left them towards the bottom of the standings, although there have been positive signs of attacking quality.
One of this seaon's shining stars has been Océane Hurtré, whose performances have attracted attention and earned her recognition at the international level.
The Frenchwoman has provided seven goals and two assists in just nine league starts, including a crucial goal against Arsenal to secure a point on the road.
I think Sunday's derby offer Birmingham an opportunity to turn strong individual performances into a significant team result to help them move clear of the danger zone they currently occupy.
Where could the game be won?
Villa will be keen to take advantage of familiar surroundings and establish control early on, limiting Birmingham City's time and space on the ball.
However, this might play directly into Birmingham's hands, who have impressed this season on the transition. If they can win possession high and move the ball forward quickly, they have players such as Hurtré capable of troubling Villa's defence.
I think wide areas could be the deciding factor in Sunday's match, with Hurtré's delivery and ability to cut inside a valubale outlet, while Chasity Grant has impressed out wide in recent matches.
Interestingly, both of the club sit near the bottom of the standings for average possession per 90, with the clubs failing to have more than 40% of the ball. Therefore, it appears that set-pieces could be a deciding factor for two teams who struggle to maintain control and possession.
Villa also need to be wary of Sarri's threat after her previous derby-winning contributions in seasons gone by. The Greek international is yet to score a BWSL goal this campaign, but has bagged two in the Subway Players Cup.
Ultimately, the Second City derby is about much more than recent form of league position. It's an opportunity for both sides the make a statement with Villa hoping to assert their dominance on home soil, while Birmingham will hope to recreate the result which makes this fixture so unpredictable.
