Natalia Arroyo wants Aston Villa supporters “dreaming with us” as her heavily rebuilt Women’s side prepare to open their WSL campaign against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
Villa completed their pre-season programme against West Ham on Sunday after a summer designed to reshape a squad which finished ninth last term.
Arroyo has now turned her attention towards the competitive campaign and the connection she wants to create between the new-look team and supporters.
Aston Villa highlighted her message after that final friendly under the headline “We need the fans dreaming with us”.
It is an ambitious message at the start of a season which immediately gives Villa one of the most demanding tests available.
Aston Villa Women rebuild faces immediate Chelsea examination
Villa travel to Stamford Bridge on Saturday to face Chelsea, with kick-off scheduled for 12:30pm BST.
Chelsea’s official fixture announcement confirms Villa will provide the opposition for their opening WSL match, which is also the beginning of Chelsea playing every home league fixture at Stamford Bridge.
Arroyo’s squad will look considerably different from the one which ended last season.
We previously examined how Aston Villa Women’s rebuild would face an immediate Chelsea test after six early additions addressed weaknesses across defence, midfield and attack.
Recruitment did not stop there.
Lily Murphy subsequently arrived on loan from Manchester City, while Villa completed the permanent signing of Rofiat Imuran from London City Lionesses.
That move took Villa to nine summer additions, with ReadAstonVilla detailing how Imuran adds another natural option to Arroyo’s defence.
The scale of the work gives Arroyo considerably more options.
It also raises expectations.
Arroyo needs new-look Aston Villa attack to deliver
Villa have already shown encouraging signs during a demanding pre-season.
A 4-1 win against Paris FC was followed by an examination against European heavyweights OL Lyonnes.
Although Villa were beaten 3-1, their performance against Lyon offered encouraging signs as Arroyo continued integrating her new arrivals.
The major question now moves to goals.
Villa enter the new campaign having lost a substantial amount of attacking production, with our recent analysis explaining how the team must replace almost 43 per cent of last season’s league goals.
New players such as Murphy, Amalie Vangsgaard and Kamilla Melgård therefore arrive with an opportunity to assume greater responsibility.
Chelsea will provide a brutal first measurement of how quickly that work has progressed.
But Arroyo’s message suggests Villa do not want to enter the season merely talking about transition.
Nine summer arrivals have changed the squad.
Saturday begins the process of discovering whether they can change Villa’s ambitions too.
