Arroyo hints at ‘new-look’ Aston Villa ahead of season opener

Arroyo hints at ‘new-look’ Aston Villa ahead of season opener Aston Villa head coach Natalia Arroyo insists the team are ‘ready for the challenge’ of a new Barclays Women’s Super League season and hints at the team’s ‘new look’ after a busy transfer window. The Villans travel to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea in their opening game of the new season this afternoon. Speaking to the media ahead of the league opener, Arroyo was full of praise for her team and incredibly optimistic about what the new season could hold for Aston Villa. “We’re happy with the movement in the transfer window,” Arroyo said. “We’ve brought in a good mix of players with talent, experience, ambition and a new energy to bring us to the next step that we need. We ended [last] season knowing what we were lacking and where we were strong. “From day one, you’ll be able to see what the new Villa looks like. We see it now every day in training; an honest, hard-working team that is ambitious and challenges every day.” This ‘new Villa’ consists of eight new permanent signings, providing depth across the squad which has been lacking in previous seasons. Boosting the attacking line, alongside loanee Lily Murphy, are Mia McAuley, Amelie Vangsgaard and Kamilla Melgård, all of whom will be vital for Villa after the departure of prolific goalscorer Kirsty Hanson. Commenting on Hanson’s departure, Arroyo had the utmost respect for her former player. She said “We have learned a lot from her and we want the fans to welcome her when they see her because we appreciate what she did for us, but 26/27 season isn’t about Kirsty Hanson. “In pre-season, we were able to face different teams with different styles of play and distribute the goalscorers in a good way, which in my opinion, shows the attacking patterns and ability of a team that has enough strength. “Time after time, game after game, you’ll know the different attacking threats that we have now.” This afternoon, sees the second time that Aston Villa will have travelled to London to face Chelsea on the opening day of the season. However, this is the first time that the Villans have played at Stamford Bridge and Arroyo expressed her excitement at the prospect. She said “We’ve been wanting this first game to come and starting in Stamford Bridge is a strong start. I’m here because I want these types of challenges, so I’m excited too. Let’s see if we can start the league in a good tone.” When asked if it was a good time to play Chelsea after both teams have experienced multiple personnel changes over the summer, Arroyo replied matter-of-factly. She said “It is what it is. This first game you won’t see teams fully-formed over 90 minutes, probably what you’ll see from us and them are lots of substitutions as players get their rhythm back. “Also, when you are not in form, individual quality can shine more and we know they are really good, so you never know. We feel ready. We know that if we don’t play them this time, we still need to play them later, so we’re happy with the schedule. “We’re happy to start strong and although we still don’t know where we belong, we know we are playing league contenders, champions league contenders. It’s a big challenge to be able to prove ourselves against.” Arroyo also acknowledged that consistency has been key to training this summer. She said “It’s not just about what you can do every day in training but bringing that to Sunday, Saturday in this case, with confidence and a feeling you’re ready. “This consistency in training is important, to always keep up the intensity, not just on the good days but the bad days too. During a game, we need to understand the moments and know even if the game is uncomfortable, we can take control. “Now, it’s not about talking, it’s about showing, so hopefully, we can be proud at the end of the game against Chelsea and also at the end of the season. Now, it’s time to bring that to the competition.” Finally, when asked if this was the season that Aston Villa could push higher up the table, Arroyo responded realistically to the expectations. She said “The more you talk about the outcome, the more you confuse the process, so we need to be consistent first and a lot of other teams are in the same position, that’s how hard this league is. “We just want to be in a position where we can compete every weekend, start the game well and end the game well. We find solutions, concede less goals and score more goals, so in the end, we are winning more games and get a better position on the table of course. We dream big, we want big things but we will go step-by-step and we know that action, not talk, will bring us there.” Aston Villa’s Barclays Women’s Super League fixture at Chelsea kicks-off at 12.30pm this afternoon.