Ahead of Barclays Women’s Super League fixture release day on Friday 25 July, we’re taking a look at each of West Ham United women’s team’s opponents for 2025/26. Today we’re analysing… Aston Villa.
2024/25 campaign
There came a point during the 2024/25 season when Aston Villa were looking over their metaphorical shoulder at the relegation trap door. But, during the run-in, Natalia Arroyo’s side crafted a five-game winning run to propel them to a sixth-place finish in the Women's Super League.
Up until their late flurry of victories, the Villains had only picked up two WSL wins all season, which both came before the turn of the year. One win from their first nine league outings meant the writing was on the wall for then boss Robert de Pauw, who parted ways with the club in December before Shaun Goater took interim charge.
The former Bermuda international striker would be in the dugout until late January before he was succeeded by Spanish head coach Arroyo. Although Arroyo oversaw six straight losses in the league, she got her side singing off the same hymn sheet when they needed to most.
Perhaps the most impressive victory came in a 5-2 dispatching of Arsenal on Wednesday 30 April, which saw Villa outfit boast a four-goal lead before the hour mark, and, consequently, the Gunners slip away from the title discussion.
Despite taking two victories from their three Subway® Women’s League Cup Group E matches, Aston Villa failed to make the quarter-finals of the competition as Tottenham topped the standings with a 100 per cent record. Meanwhile, the final eight was where they would bow out of the Adobe Women’s FA Cup at the hands of Manchester City after chalking up wins against Bristol Rovers and Brighton & Hove Albion.
Transfer business so far
At the time of writing, Aston Villa have completed two additions. Netherlands international Lynn Wilms was first through the door, with the 24-year-old defender bringing the experience of more than 100 appearances for VfL Wolfsburg with her to Villa Park, before England international goalkeeper Ellie Roebuck returned to the WSL from Barcelona.
Meanwhile, former Villa captain Rachel Corsie announced her retirement at the end of last season, bringing a 17-year-long senior career to an end, and former Hammer Maz Pacheco, Danielle Turner and Jordan Nobbs all departed the West Midlands club as free agents.
One to Wach: Rachel Daly
Rachel Daly committed her future to Aston Villa at the end of May, penning a two-year contract until the summer of 2027, which followed a campaign in which she netted 13 times across all competitions.
The former Hammer, who spent half a season in east London in 2020/21, and ex-England international made a blistering start to her career at Villa Park in 2022/23, scoring 30 goals in as many matches in her first campaign as she was crowned the division’s top scorer that season.
UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 champion Daly, a former Leeds United and Lincoln forward, has represented Villa on more than 80 occasions and scored three goals in her last three matches last term.
Played for both: Kenza Dali
Kenza Dali has worn the Claret and Blue of West Ham and Aston Villa.
The France international joined the Hammers in the summer of 2019 from Dijon FCO and spent two seasons in east London. A creative spark from midfield, Dali scored ten goals for the Irons in all competitions, and ended the curtailed 2019/20 campaign as the side’s top-scorer.
In the summer of 2021, Dali joined Everton where she spent a season before making the move to the Villains. The 33-year-old made 66 appearances for Aston Villa across two-and-a-half seasons and now plies her trade in the United States for San Diego Wave.
Memorable meeting: Aston Villa 1-2 West Ham, 2022/23
A fast start from West Ham United women’s team earned them a 2-1 win away at Aston Villa in October 2022.
No10 Dagný Brynjarsdóttir got the scoring underway after just two minutes played, as she found herself in the right place to nod the Hammers ahead from close range, before Honoka Hayashi latched on to Viviane Asseyi’s flick-on to fire home a second.
Dali halved the deficit on 77 with a smart finish into the top-right corner, but the Irons held on to pick up their first three points of 2022/23.
