Inside track on Villa | Christopher Heath

We’re back in Barclays Women’s Super League action on Sunday afternoon (2pm UK) with Aston Villa the visitors to Brisbane Road in our penultimate home game of the campaign.

A 2-1 win over Liverpool last time out saw Villa pick up just their third WSL win of the campaign, extending their gap to four points from bottom-place Crystal Palace, while we’ll be looking to return to winning ways after a 1-1 draw with Leicester City in our last outing in the league.

Ahead of our clash in the capital this weekend, we had a chat with journalist Christopher Heath to reflect on the Villans season to date…

How would you reflect on Villa’s season so far?

Chris: “The 2024/25 WSL campaign has so far been a disappointing one, considering bottom-of-the-table Crystal Palace - who occupy the sole relegation berth - trail by only four points. Despite being a self-prescribed optimist when it comes to my beloved childhood club, only three wins in 18 matches - losing 11 and only one win across the last eight league matches – leaves Villa facing the very realistic threat of playing in the FA Women’s Championship for the first time since 2020.

“Summer signings Chasity Grant, Katie Robinson, Missy Bo Kearns and club-record purchase Gabi Nunes have all arguably failed to yet acclimatise to their new surroundings in Birmingham (from a combined 55 matches this season, the four players have managed only three goals and a further two assists), therefore leaving the Villans’ all-time leading goalscorer Rachel Daly with a burden in front of goal.”

Who have been the standout players this season?

Chris: “Daly is our leading goalscorer with five goals this season. One of the greatest goalscorers the WSL has ever seen, she has had to shoulder the responsibility of finding the back of the net – especially considering the unforeseen departure of Adriana Leon to National Women’s Soccer League outfit San Diego Wave towards the closing stages of February.

“Despite the aforementioned, Daly has fired in key goals that have helped Villa secure quintessential points that have kept them out of the relegation position. Surprisingly, we haven’t seen a regular front-line partnership between Daly and Nunes, which I and surely everyone would love to see at one point.

“The second player I have been impressed with is left wing-back Paula Tomás. Signed from the splendid Spanish sunshine of Levante UD Femenino - the same route as Nunes – Tomás has stood out for me from both a defensive and attacking angle.

“Taking part in 13 matches this season, the only blemish on the Spaniard’s Villa playbook was a red card at Brighton and Hove Albion at the beginning of October. The ultra-critical will look at only one assist from the attack-minded full-back, but that isn’t the whole picture. Out of all of the club’s defenders, Tomás has been the one I have been overly excited to watch across the last six months.”

How has Natalia Arroyo settled into her role?

Chris: “Since her appointment on 22 January, taking over from interim Head Coach Shaun Goater, Arroyo hasn’t settled into her role in the Villa Park dugout as quickly as some would have hoped the former Real Sociedad Femení manager would. The former Barcelona Femení Academy graduate has only tasted the delicacy of two wins across nine games across all competitions, with Villa failing to find the back of the net in five of those matches.

“However, it was never going to be an easy task. Turning a negative into a positive, a newly-implemented 3-4-1-2 in the 2-1 away day success at Liverpool last weekend - which saw Daly and Ebony Salmon lead the line with Bo Kearns in as the number 10 - proved to be a winning formation. Kirsty Hanson’s second-half strike and an 87th-minute match-winning own-goal from Jenna Clark saw a much-needed and welcoming three points.”

What should we expect from Villa this weekend?

Chris: “Considering Villa are unbeaten across their last three expeditions to the English capital, including a 2-1 triumph last season at Brisbane Road, courtesy of goals from the now-departed Leon and Jordan Nobbs, Spurs will need to be at their very best to take anything from the game, despite being vastly out-of-form.

“However, in two head-to-head matches across all competitions this campaign, Sunday’s hosts are unbeaten. A 96th-minute equaliser from Bethany England salvaged a late share of the spoils in the WSL at Villa Park at the end of September before Eveliina Summanen’s strike was enough to secure the three points in the side’s group stage encounter in the Women’s League Cup.”

Watch | Highlights from our visit to Villa Park