Aston Villa sack boss Arroyo after winless WSL start

Aston Villa manager Natalia Arroyo has been dismissed after a lacklustre start to the Women’s Super League season. The team has yet to secure a victory, drawing two and losing two of their first four matches. BBC Sport reports that these results prompted the club’s decision to let her go. They suffered a 4-0 loss to Tottenham on Sunday and will face Newcastle in the Women’s League Cup on Wednesday at 19:30 BST.

Arroyo, a Spaniard, joined Villa in January 2025 and had two more years left on her contract. This marks the first managerial dismissal of the season, although former Manchester United boss Marc Skinner and ex-Brighton head coach Dario Vidosic had both resigned earlier this year. Villa officially informed Arroyo of her departure on Monday evening, and her players were notified on Tuesday morning.

Brian Sorensen, a former Everton manager who now serves as Villa’s women’s technical advisor, has been placed in an interim managerial role. Since Arroyo’s arrival, Villa have displayed occasional promise, initially stabilising the team as they flirted with relegation during her first six months. However, despite financial investments, the club has struggled with inconsistency and underwhelming performances last season.

They appeared vulnerable defensively and lacked organization without the ball, as evidenced by their loss to Spurs, which appears to have been the final straw. Ben Haines, Ellen White, and Jen Beattie are set to return for another season. New episodes of the Women’s Football Weekly podcast drop every Tuesday on BBC Sounds, featuring interviews and additional content from the Women’s Super League and beyond.