Anna Patten: Defender eyes FA Cup glory with Aston Villa

Aston Villa mislaid some WSL games to Chelsea this play including a 3-0 decision earlier this month

Anna Patten has tasted occurrence successful the FA Youth Cup, but present craves glory successful the elder contention arsenic Aston Villa look to upset the likelihood and bushed Chelsea to scope a Wembley final.

Patten, connected indebtedness from Arsenal, has travel adjacent earlier - she was an unused substitute for the Gunners successful their 2021 last decision to Chelsea.

She besides won 2 FA Youth Cups with Arsenal, processing an aboriginal emotion for the competition.

"The archetypal last I played successful with the under-17s, I had my Scottish household travel down which was unusual. I had grandparents from some sides there," Patten told BBC Sport.

"I retrieve they were each determination with their phones retired wanting maine to airs for photos with the cup. It was a large feeling.

"The FA Cup is 1 of the top achievements you tin person erstwhile you're playing successful English football. We decidedly privation to halt this Chelsea squad arsenic champion we can."

For Patten, who began her vocation astatine Arsenal and returned aft graduating from assemblage successful the United States, says determination is other inducement to bushed Chelsea due to the fact that of the rivalry with her genitor club.

"I'll astir apt get a fewer messages from the Arsenal girls," added Patten.

"They decidedly privation to spot Villa successful the last alternatively of Chelsea, seeing arsenic they were the squad who knocked Arsenal retired too.

"Anyone beating Chelsea volition astir apt marque them happy. Me and [ex-Arsenal midfielder] Jordan Nobbs volition instrumentality that into the game.

"A mates of the Arsenal girls mightiness travel to ticker and volition astir apt beryllium supporting america arsenic well. I decidedly don't deliberation they volition beryllium cheering for Chelsea!"

• How to travel Women's FA Cup semi-finals connected BBC
• Villa's archetypal semi-final 'massive moment' - Ward

'Maths brain' helps with shot analysis

Anna Patten (left) was an unused substitute successful Arsenal's FA Cup last decision to Chelsea successful 2021

Patten studied for a grade successful sociology successful the United States earlier returning to the Women's Super League successful 2021 - a twelvemonth anterior to her indebtedness determination to Aston Villa.

She has plans to further her acquisition and is eyeing up a Masters degree.

Patten's involvement successful sociology came from a fascination successful statistic and information - thing she enjoys successful shot too.

"It wasn't thing I initially thought I'd spell into but I was truly interested," she revealed. "The classes amazed maine the astir and I person much of a maths brain.

"When it comes to the stats that spell into creating your ain studies, I enjoyed that. I similar investigation and the tactical broadside of football, definitely.

"I similar talking with much experienced players astir tactics. One of my strengths arsenic a subordinate is the mode I work the crippled and recognize football. I instrumentality pridefulness successful that to an extent.

"We're fortunate that we're successful a clip wherever there's tons of antithetic places you tin look astatine your stats and spot wherever you tin improve.

"The maths encephalon successful maine tin recognize it possibly much than a batch of different players truthful I look astatine it successful off-seasons and spot what's not precocious capable oregon however I tin readjust things."

'I truly appreciated it erstwhile I came back'

Anna Patten has made 20 appearances successful each competitions for Aston Villa truthful acold this season

Patten's shot quality attracted Villa and she has impressed since joining connected indebtedness successful January 2022.

But the centre-back had a setback just 2 months into her move from London erstwhile she contracted glandular fever and had to miss the remainder of past season.

Patten had go a cardinal subordinate of Carla Ward's broadside arsenic they fought to debar relegation - but present she is backmost and keen to marque up for mislaid clip successful the club's pursuit of silverware.

"It was a truly frustrating one," said Patten. "We were starting to prime up form. The summation of [ex-England midfielder] Jill Scott made specified a quality and we became much of a football-playing side.

"I felt similar I was doing a batch of enactment with the coaches to make myself arsenic a player. It meant I had a precise agelong summertime interruption though.

"But I missed it massively. I wasn't truly capable to bash anything, I was truly retired of it. I took that clip to truly admit it erstwhile I came back."