By Catherine MacKenzie (7/11/25)
Above: Natalia Arroyo. Photo: AVWFCOfficial on X.
When Aston Villa head to Manchester ahead of Saturday’s duel with Manchester United, it will be with a point to prove. The Villains have been a force to be reckoned with at times this season – such as in the strong draw away at the Emirates – but have also disappointed on occasion, such as last week’s late concession that allowed Everton to rescue a draw.
For their part, United are still unbeaten in the league. Despite an uncharacteristically sloppy defensive performance last time out against Brighton, the Red Devils are on good form, scoring 10 goals in their last five WSL games. Impetus Football’s Catherine MacKenzie heard from Villa head coach Natalia Arroyo ahead of the game.
Dealing with United’s high press
United have won plaudits for their ability to press their opponent, giving them no space to breathe and forcibly taking possession in dangerous areas. Arroyo indicated that her team are aware of this, highlighting the importance of United’s physicality.
“Man United were one of the best teams out of possession last year. They are so aggressive in their high press. They are so physical and they are so committed. In the hard work, they don’t want to stay defending lots of periods of the time and they are so aggressive to win the ball back,” she said, stressing that attacking United will be hard to do.
Villa may look to set pieces as their main outlet, focusing on an area where they’ve already found success this season rather than trying to outpress United.
“I think the key thing inside this is to have a good takers and to read the positions and to have good players in the box – and we are finding goals and that’s good,” she said, noting that “we knew that was definitely a part that that we were not very good at last year, so we worked as many things as possible and in this case we are being successful with it”.
The ability to win the ball back deep into the opposition’s half means United are disciplined and physical off the ball – which Arroyo admires, likening it to how she likes her own teams to play.
“I really admire the way Man United are playing out of possession, and of course, in possession. But the out of possession was one of the teams that were closer to my idea. It’s not that I’m copying them, but definitely I admire the work that Marc and his players are doing.”
Learning from Everton
Villa’s last game included a last-minute equaliser from Everton. Arroyo fielded a young team against the blues, and has won plaudits for giving opportunities to young players. Lucia Kendall is a prime example, starting four of five WSL games and putting in performances that meant she received her first call up to the senior England team. She followed that up with her first start and a player-of-the-match performance against Australia.
Her club manager is aware that moments like that last minute equaliser will come as her young players continue to adjust to the level of the league, concluding that focusing on progress rather than disappointment is key.
“It was a normal week focusing on on the different lessons that we can take from Everton, with our full attention on some actions especially at the beginning,” she said, referencing the early moments in the game that saw Everton take the lead. She continued, “we were too passive maybe and we were like too basic in possession. So we were talking about that and about our performance to try to to show that it was just an accident.”
Dealing with United’s threats
Villa’s last competitive game against United was in March 2025 and saw United dominant. They were three goals to the good before half-time, and Villa struggled to escape their own half until the end of the game. Arroyo suggested this game is playing on her mind as they approach United again, particularly their tendency to start the game with a high tempo.
“When Man United visited Villa Park I was already here. They destroyed us in the first half. I know that can happen because they are so strong,” she said, remarking that “we need to not give them the chance to destroy us as they did then.”
Although the Everton result was disappointing, Villa have taken confidence from two good performances against top four-sides Chelsea and Arsenal, who they held to a 1-1 draw away from home.
“It’s just if we can be like closer to the version that we showed against Chelsea, Arsenal to pick, like, maybe two good examples, that’s them. That’s the ambition, that’s the bravery that we, that we want and to be ready for everything.”
England duo Jess Park and Ella Toone have been in electrifying form this season. Toone’s physicality and Park’s ability to play through small pockets of space have given United much more creativity going forward. Asked how she plans to disrupt the duo, Arroyo was coy, focusing on the threats United pose as an eleven.
“I remember Villa Park, they destroyed us with wide combinations, they can do that. And then, with the addition of [Fridolina] Rolfö, and [Melvine] Malard can play on a wide channel, just going in to create an overload in the middle. That’s a strong thing.
And I think they, they have grown in my opinion. They they are just adding pages and slides to their game model and how they play centrally is also really strong.
It’s just it’s reducing the volume of success of their combinations because yeah, they built a good relationship. They play in short distances. They connect quick passes, and you’re out. So we need to be smarter, be a little bit more solid and use everybody to defend better.”
Although Villa want to surprise United, Arroyo is aware of the need for clarity and consistency, particularly with a young squad.
“The key thing is that in your search of being unpredictable, you are not unpredictable to yourself”
Manchester United v Aston Villa kicks off on Saturday 8th November at 12:00 noon UK time. It will be broadcast on Sky Sports+ in the UK and the WSL Youtube elsewhere in the world.
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