Natalia Arroyo

After a tough start to the season, they've really turned things around with a five-game unbeaten run, so they'll be looking to build on that momentum.

Villa under Natalia Arroyo always asked a lot of questions of the teams they faced, and we're also familiar with their new manager Brian Sorensen from his time at Everton.

They've changed their system, so there will always be an element of guesswork in our preparation, but we need to focus on ourselves.

There are no easy games in football, in the WSL or Champions League, and we'll be ready to raise our levels once again.

Right, fuller first, because there's one game in particular that tells us a lot about the opportunity and the danger on Sunday.

Villa's poor start cost Natalia Arroyo her job in September and Brian Sorensen, who Arsenal supporters will know from his time at Everton, has come in as their interim manager.

Their two most recent WSL results were a 2-1 win over Liverpool and a 3-2 win against Everton.

Everton and the second of those is the one that I would spend time studying if I were in Rene's coaching team because it tells you quite a lot about both the threat Villa carry and the things they're still struggling with.

They felt like they could do something in this game.

And I don't really feel like we felt that a huge amount, obviously at the start of the season and, you know, the back end of last season under Natalia Arroyo, who I really, really liked as a person, as a manager and a lot of great qualities.

But, Somehow Brian has really given them a bit of belief that I think they were really, really missing.

Whether that can last, you know, whether it's just a new manager bounce or not, I don't know.

Kind of incredible.

Obviously, I've made myself very clear of my fondness of Natalia Arroyo.

And also they had a hard start to the season, but you've got to, I guess, give Sorensen some credit of the results that he is getting.

I still think Villa conceded a ton of chances and the fact that they went 3-0 up and then conceded two goals, you know, says a lot, but they held on and that's huge.

do.

I do feel a bit like the sacking of Natalia Arroyo was quite abrupt in terms of them making that decision, which again we touched on in terms of what they'd done pre-season versus their expectations and whether they really matched up or not.

But it feels like they responded to a run of poor results without really then having a backup plan, but they had the benefit of having a former WSL manager in their midst who could step in.

And I like Brian.

tell from him he's like oh I've got a list

now

so I don't forget but um no it'd be interesting to see how they get on I'd like to see a few more games under uh his belt to see if he's really you know because he he spoke about him feeling he was you know slightly different coach to Natalia Arroyo and yet the goal that um Chastity Grant scored was a route one Natalia Arroyo back to front goal which I just thought was quite ironic

Welly, well, well.

Um, I don't think Villa have looked great this season, to be honest.

I know they've obviously sacked Natalia Arroyo before, um, that draw against, was it P- who was the, who they played last time out? Palace.

Um, but you mentioned the stat about the fact that they conceded the most XG.

They've also have the, the second least XG for, so their problems lie in both the attack and the defense.

Um, and yeah, look, I think the...

Look, I'm not a, I'm not a Villa fan, but I slightly question whether s- the sacking of Natalia Arroyo was the right decision because they'd had Chelsea, City and Spurs in their first three games, so not, not the easiest start to the season.

Um, and Liverpool on the other hand, have looked, have looked really, really impressive.

L- they've got seven points this season, but their two losses have been against City and United, and even in those two losses, they've really competed.

Probably Villa or something, picking on someone just to make myself feel better, so.

By the way, thanks Villa for sacking Natalia Arroyo like maybe for 12 hours after we recorded but before we put the episode out.

Yeah.

So-

Lots going on in the WSL.

Natalia Arroyo, I should say, was sacked last Monday.

Villa coming off a 4-0 defeat to Spurs that week.

They got a 1-1 draw at the weekend under caretaker manager Brian Sorensen.