Women’s Super League 2025-26 previews No 2: Aston Villa | Women’s Super League

Guardian writers’ predicted position: 6th (NB: this is not necessarily Sophie Downey’s prediction but the average of our writers’ tips)

Last season’s position: 6th

Prospects

Aston Villa will be aiming for a smoother Women’s Super League season, having spent much of the 2024-25 campaign flirting with relegation. There were strong signs, however, that the club had put the problems of Robert de Pauw’s tenure behind them with a comfortable sixth-place finish. An eye-catching final run saw them unbeaten in five games, scoring 16 in the process, including five against Arsenal.

The four months under De Pauw had proved an unmitigated disaster and left Natalia Arroyo with a mountain to climb when she joined the club in January. Once safety had been secured, the Spaniard’s coaching principles started to shine and the team visibly grew in confidence. But with an ageing squad, there was always going to be some turnover and the departures of Jordan Nobbs, Danielle Turner and Rachel Corsie point to this fact. It was important for Arroyo to maintain a strong spine and Rachel Daly’s contract extension points to how valued her leadership and experience remains, while managing to keep Anna Patten, Kirsty Hanson and Lucy Parker indicates that Villa remains attractive for high-quality internationals.

Arroyo has injected youth into her squad over the summer with the signings of Ellie Roebuck (25), Lynn Wilms (24), Océane Deslandes (25) and England Under-23 international Lucia Kendall, while bringing in Jill Baijings permanently from Bayern Munich was a notable coup. The Netherlands midfielder made a significant impact on loan last season, wearing the captain’s armband in the absence of Daly on several occasions.

Villa have been building momentum in pre-season. A 2-0 defeat at Manchester United was followed by a 5-1 win over Liverpool and an impressive 1-1 draw away to Paris Saint-Germain. With a final friendy to come against Union Berlin, Arroyo’s side are looking to be in strong shape for theiropening match away at Brighton.

Aston Villa’s league placing since 2021.Aston Villa’s league placing since 2021

The manager

Natalia Arroyo was a surprise appointment but has quickly put her stamp on Aston Villa. Photograph: Neville Williams/Aston Villa FC/Getty Images

Arroyo was probably not on many people’s radars when she signed a three-and-a-half year deal in January, but the 39-year-old has already proved to be one of Europe’s most promising coaches. After being forced to retire from playing through injury, Arroyo began her management career with Catalonia before joining Real Sociedad in 2020. Her four-year tenure at the club saw them finish runners-up in Liga F in the 2021-22 season. Arroyo likes her teams to be aggressive in the press and direct going forward, using the pace and energy of the likes of Hanson, Chasity Grant and Ebony Salmon to break defensive lines.

Off-field picture

Aston Villa became the latest club to offload their women’s team to help them avoid any breaches of the Premier League’s profitability and sustainability regulations. The deal saw a 90% stake in the women’s side sold to Villa’s parent company V Sports, which was founded by owners Wes Edens and Nassef Sawiris. A 10% stake was sold to external American investors. It follows Chelsea’s decision to do similar last year when the women’s arm of the club was sold to BlueCo for around £200m.

Star signing

Lynn Wilms became the club’s first marquee signing of the summer, arriving after four seasons at Wolfsburg. The versatile Netherlands international can play at centre-back and right-back and brings plenty of Champions League experience. During her time in Germany, the 24-year-old made more than 100 appearances in all competitions for Wolfsburg, lifting the Frauen-Bundesliga title in 2021-2022 and picking up a Champions League runners-up medal in 2023. Wilms made her debut for the Netherlands at 18 and has featured in four major tournaments, including Euro 2025.

Stepping up

Rachel Maltby is one of the most promising young players to have emerged from Aston Villa’s academy in recent years, and it has been an exciting 12 months for the 18-year-old defender. After finishing fourth with England at the under-17 World Cup last year, she signed her first professional deal with the club in March. Maltby proceeded to make her WSL debut at Villa Park in their 5-2 victory over Arsenal, coming on as a second-half substitute for Maz Pacheco. A dynamic player, she can play at full-back and wing-back on either side of the pitch and possesses plenty of attacking qualities.

It was a good summer for …

Noelle Maritz helped Switzerland reach the quarter-finals of Euro 2025 before being knocked out by Spain. Photograph: Image Photo Agency/Getty Images

Noelle Maritz was an integral part of Switzerland’s historic run at this summer’s European Championship. Ever-present at the heart of Pia Sundhage’s defence, she helped the hosts reach the quarter-finals. Switzerland were defeated by Spain but there is no doubt the impact Maritz and her teammates had on a nation. From fan marches lining the cities of Switzerland to the vociferous support inside the stadiums, it will have been an experience Martiz will remember for ever.

Aston Villa’s results from the 2024-25 season.Aston Villa’s results from the 2024-25 season

Main initiative to attract more fans

The clubmoved all their home games to Villa Park last season and they will be looking to build on that, as well as the matchday experience, this year. Villa have been working hard to turn each fixture into an event with pre-match entertainment for all ages, including live music, foot pool, selfie pods and prize draw opportunities at every home game. There are also group-booking initiatives in place for grassroot clubs and education establishments.