Aston Villa Women are targeting improvement on last season's ninth-place Women's Super League finish, with head coach Natalia Arroyo focusing on defensive solidity and replacing a key goalscorer in her second season in charge.
Rebuilding the squad
After a frustrating campaign that saw Villa finish ninth, a summer of change has allowed the Spaniard to continue rebuilding the team in her image, one suited to her direct style of football. Several stalwarts have departed, with Sarah Mayling, Sabrina D'Angelo and Ebony Salmon moving on and Lucy Staniforth retiring. Young talents such as Akane Okuma, Kamilla Melgård and Mia McAulay have been recruited, while England Under-20 international Lily Murphy has joined on loan.
The biggest blow for Arroyo has been the departure of Kirsty Hanson. The 28-year-old was responsible for almost 43% of Villa's goals last season, and figuring out how to replace that output will be the head coach's biggest task. The return of Rachel Daly to full fitness is a boost, while the experience of Amalie Vangsgaard is a useful acquisition.
Defensive concerns
Defensively is where the biggest questions continue to lie. Villa possessed the second-leakiest backline in the division last season and will need to tighten up to have any hope of moving up the table. The arrival of Mathilde Harviken is a strong solution to those woes, given the Norway centre-back's front-foot approach to defending and good distribution. Despite being only 24, she brings a wealth of experience, having signed from Juventus, where she made close to 50 appearances and lifted the Serie A title in 2024-2025. Harviken has represented her country since the age of 20, featuring at the 2023 World Cup and 2025 Euros.
Villa have work to do defensively. While only five teams scored more WSL goals last season, relegated Leicester were the only side with a worse defensive record. The penalty area appears to be the problem; 75.9% of the shots Villa conceded were in the area, against a division-wide average of 68.6%. Their league-worst rate helps to explain why they allowed more goals from within their penalty area than Leicester.
Off-field progress
Villa's work away from the pitch continues to grow, with the women's team operating as an independent entity. Managing director Maggie Murphy said that reconnecting with the fanbase has been at the forefront of the club's efforts. Last season brought collaborations with Level Playing Field, an International Women's Day event and a women's clothing range launched with AFTA Studios. Saathi House, a foundation working to empower women, young people and migrant communities in Birmingham, featured on the front of the shirt during the World Sevens Tournament.
Manager and young talent
Arroyo's first 18 months in the WSL have been full of ups and downs, but the charismatic head coach brings something different. She is a constant bundle of energy, living every moment in her technical area. Arroyo has a clear vision for what she wants, and her direct style of in-possession play, using pacy forwards to attack the spaces behind the opposition, has been well-defined. She is unafraid to put her faith in young players, illustrated by the emergence of Lucia Kendall and Rachel Maltby last season.
Aged 20, Melgård is among a crop of young talents that have emerged from Norway in recent years. She joins Villa after two years in Liga F with Madrid CFF. A versatile midfielder, Melgård can play in the centre or on the wing and has an eye for goal, as shown in Villa's recent friendly against Paris FC. She has represented Norway from under-16 level and is now part of their under-23 contingent.
“You can feel that we are building an honest team, a hard-working team, players that are committed to the idea, they understand that we are facing an important year for us,” said Arroyo.
Home games and ticketing
Villa Park remains home for all WSL fixtures, while Hednesford's Keys Park Stadium will host cup games. There have been plenty of initiatives around ticketing for Villa Park this summer, with prices frozen, a new 18-25 category, a new four-match bundle offer and the return of the 82 Champions Club hospitality. Drinks, alcoholic and non-alcoholic, will continue to be allowed inside the stadium, with an alcohol-free zone established.
