Ninth place, a leaky backline, and your top scorer walking out the door. That's the summer Natalia Arroyo walked into — and we're genuinely curious whether she can turn the corner or whether Villa are just permanent optimism without the results to back it up.
The honest answer is: probably somewhere in between. And that's not nothing.
The Hanson-shaped hole
Let's not dress it up. Kirsty Hanson accounted for nearly 43% of Aston Villa's goals last season. Forty-three per cent. One player. Gone. That is not a gap you fill with good vibes and a summer of tinkering — it is a structural problem that will define whether this campaign represents progress or more of the same.
Arroyo's answer is a combination of Rachel Daly returning to full fitness and the experience of Amalie Vangsgaard coming in as a new face. Whether that is enough to replicate what Hanson gave them is the question hanging over everything. We're not convinced yet, but we're willing to be shown otherwise.
The incomings elsewhere are intriguing rather than transformative. Akane Okuma, Kamilla Melgård and Mia McAulay are young, with Melgård — a 20-year-old versatile midfielder — arriving after two years in Liga F with Madrid CFF. She looked bright in a pre-season friendly against Paris FC. England Under-20 international Lily Murphy has come in on loan. This is a squad that is very deliberately being shaped around youth and directness. Arroyo isn't hiding what she wants to build.
The defensive reckoning
Here's where it gets uncomfortable. Villa had the second-worst defensive record in the WSL last season. The only side worse was relegated Leicester — and Villa somehow conceded more goals from inside their penalty area than Leicester did. That stat deserves a second read. Three-quarters of shots they conceded came from inside the box, against a division-wide average of just under 69%. This wasn't bad luck. This was a structural vulnerability.
The signing of Mathilde Harviken from Juventus is the most pointed attempt to fix it. The 24-year-old Norway centre-back brings genuine pedigree — close to 50 appearances for Juventus, a Serie A title in 2024-25, and international experience stretching back to the 2023 World Cup and 2025 Euros. Her front-foot defending and distribution are exactly what Arroyo needs at the back. This is the kind of transfer that tells you a club understands its own problem. Whether Harviken alone can drag a porous defence into shape is another matter.
Arroyo herself put it plainly: "You can feel that we are building an honest team, a hard-working team, players that are committed to the idea." It's not the most electrifying thing a manager has ever said, but it doesn't read like spin either. It reads like someone who knows they're not ready to challenge the top four and is trying to lay proper foundations rather than paper over the cracks.
Off the pitch, Villa are doing things properly — frozen ticket prices, a new 18-25 category, community partnerships, and the women's team operating as an independent entity. Maggie Murphy's reconnection with the fanbase is evident and worth acknowledging.
Our take: Ninth again feels about right, possibly a place or two better if Harviken beds in quickly and Daly rediscovers her best form. There is something real being built here under Arroyo — but Villa need their defensive numbers to shift dramatically before we start talking about a top-half finish meaning anything. The potential is genuine. The patience required is significant.