Aston Villa Women suffered a 3-1 pre-season defeat against French champions OL Lyonnes on Friday, but Natalia Arroyo’s side emerged from their toughest summer test with encouraging signs ahead of the new WSL season.
Villa stepped up considerably in opposition after beating Paris FC 4-1 in their previous friendly and described Friday’s display as a “strong performance” despite the result.
Facing one of European football’s most decorated teams provided Arroyo with a far more demanding examination of her rebuilt squad as the countdown continues towards Villa’s Women’s Super League opener against Chelsea.
Aston Villa Women tested by European heavyweights
Lyon’s pedigree puts the scoreline into context.
They reached the 2026 Women’s Champions League final before losing 4-0 to Barcelona in Oslo, while their eight European titles remain a competition record.
Villa were therefore facing opposition operating at the level Arroyo ultimately wants her developing side to challenge.
The result follows an encouraging 4-1 victory against Paris FC in Villa’s previous pre-season outing.
Aston Villa confirmed that win earlier this week as their summer preparations continued in France, with the level of opposition now increasing again against Lyon.
For a squad that has undergone significant change during the transfer window, these fixtures offer Arroyo an opportunity to establish combinations before competitive football begins.
Chelsea opener now moves closer
Villa’s attention will increasingly turn towards the beginning of the WSL campaign.
Read Aston Villa has already examined the scale of Arroyo’s summer rebuild, with several new arrivals competing to establish themselves in her first-choice team.
Lily Murphy has also joined Villa on loan from Manchester City, adding another attacking option to the squad.
A 3-1 defeat will not be the result Villa wanted.
Against the French champions and 2026 Champions League finalists, however, Arroyo was able to test her developing team against genuinely elite opposition.
Villa’s own post-match verdict was clear: the building process continues.
With Chelsea waiting in their opening league fixture, tests of this level could prove particularly valuable.
