PREVIEW: Villa women aiming for improved 2025/26 campaign | OneFootball

Aston Villa will be looking for a more stable Women’s Super League campaign after spending much of the 2024–25 season battling near the relegation zone.

However, a solid sixth-place finish suggested they had moved past the struggles of Robert de Pauw’s time in charge. Their strong end to the season – going unbeaten in their final five matches and netting 16 goals – was particularly impressive.

The four-month spell under Robert de Pauw was nothing short of a complete disaster, leaving Natalia Arroyo with a big rebuilding task ahead of her when she took over in January.

Once Villa had secured survival in the league, the Spanish boss’ tactical approach began to take shape. The team’s confidence visibly grew, highlighted by an impressive five goal win over Arsenal near the back end of the season.

However, with an ageing squad, changes were expected ahead of the new season and this was made evident with the exits of Danielle Turner, Jordan Knobbs and Rachel Corsie. Keeping star player Rachel Daly was a must with the importance of her leadership and experience.

Meanwhile, holding on to Lucy Holding, Anna Patten and Kirsty Hanson shows that Villa remains an appealing destination for top-level international players.

Transfer business

Arroyo has added a youthful edge to her squad this summer with the arrivals of Ellie Roebuck and Océane Deslandes, who are both 25 years-old. Lynn Wilms also joins from Germany to play her first stint in English football, whilst England Under-23 international Lucia Kendall joins following the expiry of her contract at Southampton.

Securing Jill Baijings on a permanent deal from Bayern Munich was also a notable move. The Dutch star made a strong impression during her loan spell last season, captaining the side when Rachel Daly was absent in several games last season.

First full season for Arroyo

When Arroyo signed a three-and-a-half-year deal in January, she wasn’t a widely known name to the WSL fans, but the 39-year-old has quickly established herself as one of Europe’s most promising young coaches. After an injury ended her playing career, Arroyo began coaching with Catalonia before taking charge of Real Sociedad in 2020.

During her four-year spell there, she led the team to a runner-up finish in Liga F in the 2021–22 season. Arroyo’s tactical approach is built on aggressive pressing and direct attacking play, making full use of the speed and dynamism of players like Kirsty Hanson and Chasity Grant, to disrupt opposition defences.

Promising pre-season

Villa have looked fairly solid during pre-season. After a 2-0 loss to Manchester United, they bounced back with a commanding 5-1 victory over Liverpool and an impressive 1-1 draw away to Paris Saint-Germain. They finished strong with a 1-0 victory over Union Berlin.

Player to watch: Lynn Wilms

The Dutch defender joins the side after four seasons playing for Wolfsburg where she accumulated an impressive seven goal contributions. She adds versatility having played at full-back and centre-back. She was also part of the side which were runners up in the 2023 Champions League final and featured in the 2025 Euros.

Final thoughts

There is a sense of excitement around Villa fans to build on the strong end to the season they had last year, and with the mix of youth and experience within the squad, maybe a possible cup run is on the cards.