Aston Villa head coach Natalia Arroyo says her side have ‘nothing to lose’ ahead of WSL encounter with Chelsea.
Aston Villa will return home to Villa Park this weekend for the second game of the 2025/26 Women’s Super League (WSL) season. The Villans arrive off the back of a cagey 0-0 affair against Brighton & Hove Albion on the league’s opening weekend.
They will now gear up for an even tougher test as the side prepare to face WSL holders, Chelsea.
“We need to face this knowing that it is our first game at home,” Arroyo said in the pre-match press conference ahead of the clash. “This is the toughest opponent that we can face but it’s a challenge where we want to show ourselves to see how much we need to grow and how ready we are.
“We will try to play a competitive game without fear but with a lot of respect because they’re super-good. We have our tools to make them feel uncomfortable.”
“I probably prefer [facing an unbeaten side] than facing a team that is losing all of their games because you have less pressure. We have this nothing to lose feeling around, maybe because of the media, the fans and the expectation on the opponent. We are not here competing for the title, they are.”
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Villa Park fans give the side ‘something to fight for’ says Arroyo
Aston Villa prepare for a record-breaking season in the Midlands after the club announced that they had smashed their season ticket record ahead of the new campaign.
“There will be moments when you have tired legs and the little shouts [from the crowd], clapping, sounds from the stands help the players to stay connected and gives them something to fight for,” Arroyo said on the importance of the Villa Park faithful.
“In the bigger picture, if you feel like you’re building this bond with the fans, it’ll make the Villa Park experience bigger. Hopefully, we can make that feeling big enough, so that they become our 12th player and we can fight together.”