Aston Villa Women sack manager Arroyo

What the report says

Aston Villa Women have sacked head coach Natalia Arroyo after a poor start to the Women’s Super League season, BBC Sport reports. The decision follows two draws and two defeats from the club’s opening four league matches, leaving Villa without a win so far this campaign.

BBC Sport said the club’s move came after Sunday’s 4-0 loss to Tottenham, a result that appeared to push the situation to a conclusion. Villa are also due to play Newcastle in the Women’s League Cup on Wednesday, but the article indicates Arroyo will not continue in charge for that fixture.

Arroyo, who previously played for Barcelona and Spain before retiring in 2009, joined Villa in January 2025 and still had two years left on her contract. The BBC notes she had helped stabilise the side after they were close to relegation during her first months at the club, but performances remained inconsistent and the team struggled for defensive control this season.

The dismissal is the first managerial change of the WSL season, according to BBC Sport. More broadly, it underlines the pressure on Villa to turn around results after investment in the squad and a difficult start to the year. A permanent replacement was not mentioned in the report.