Aston Villa have sacked Natalia Arroyo as their women's manager, with the side winless and second-bottom of the Women's Super League.
Arroyo was let go on Monday night, after Villa endured a 4-0 defeat at Tottenham on Sunday. It was a second loss in their opening four games of the season, with a 4-1 defeat by Manchester City sandwiched between 1-1 draws with Chelsea and Brighton, with performances largely poor.
Arroyo's tenure at Villa
Arroyo was appointed in January 2025, signing a three-and-a-half-year contract with the club. The former Barcelona and Espanyol player, who spent time as a journalist before focusing on her coaching career, joined Villa following four impressive years in charge at Real Sociedad where she guided the club to a second-place finish in the 2021-22 season and a Copa de la Reina final in her final campaign.
The 40-year-old replaced Shaun Goater, who took temporary charge following Robert de Pauw's departure amid allegations over remarks he had made to players. Villa had only two wins from their first 12 WSL games when Arroyo took charge. Five consecutive league defeats followed as the team adapted to the new manager and they won their remaining five games to finish sixth.
Poor form and club statement
Villa finished ninth in Arroyo's first full campaign, with 20 points from 22 games, but a poor run of form and four successive defeats blighted the end of the season. "Everyone at Aston Villa would like to thank Natalia for her efforts and wish her all the best in her future endeavours," the club said in a statement.
Villa have confirmed that Brian Sørensen, the women's technical adviser, will take temporary charge of the team, including for their Subway Players Cup tie against Newcastle on Wednesday. Sørensen joined Villa as technical adviser in March, following his exit from Everton in February after four years with the Merseyside club.
