Aston Villa Women defender Anna Patten wins 4-0 with Ireland against Greece | OneFootball

Tied at the half at 0-0, Aston Villa Women defender Anna Patten was part of an Ireland side that defeated Greece 4-0 in Nations League play. As part of the team that had most of the possession, she was heavily involved as one of the center back pivot points when the Irish had the ball.

Often, CBs will serve as the point to restart the attack once an option down a side is shut down by the opposition. The defender needs to then be strong on the ball and constantly scanning to quickly move the ball around the back in order to prevent the defense from comfortably setting up on a slow switch.

Naturally, the number one priority is to keep the opposition from scoring. Particularly early on, Patten found herself making some recovery runs off Greek long balls. As evidenced by the final score, Ireland was able to deal with the pushes from the home side.

Most notably, Patten put in a goal-saving tackle in the first half that looked like it would have broken the deadlock. Being aware and alert to the danger from the surprise counters from Greece, the Villa defender proved to be up for the task on repeated occasions.

Aston Villa player a threat in the attack

Comfortable with the ball at her feet, she also could be seen putting pressure on the defense on the right-hand side. A couple of times, she further showed her quality with a couple of dangerous long balls of her own. Patton looked to join the attack as the opportunities invited and had a good overall complete game.

The defender looked to get in on the goal party on set pieces. Her best chance ended up being called a foul, but the game in Dublin at Tallaght Stadium on Tuesday could see her put one in the back of the net herself off a corner or free kick. All in all, it was a positive day for the Aston Villa Women player.