Arroyo calls for Aston Villa to be brave against Arsenal

Arroyo calls for Aston Villa to be brave against Arsenal

Aston Villa head coach Natalia Arroyo has called on her side to be brave as they look to cause more problems for latest opponents Arsenal.

The Villans play host to The Gunners at Villa Park on Saturday afternoon.

Arsenal’s UEFA Women’s Champions League and Barclays Women’s Super League title hopes have ended in the last week and Aston Villa boss Arroyo has called on her side to be brave against the North Londoners this weekend.

“I know that Renée [Slegers] was disappointed that they gave Brighton the chance to lead and dominate at the beginning [in midweek], so I can imagine an Arsenal that will try to start the game better or stronger,” Arroyo said when speaking in the pre-match press conference. “I expect a team that will look to start better than they did on Wednesday but on the other hand, you sometimes need a goal to fight more and the fact that the title is gone can affect a team.

“What I know is that they are definitely a team that can cope with playing on a Wednesday and a Saturday. I’m not sure if they will rotate or play the best team possible, but they are still fighting for things, so we know that we will play a strong team.

“We are trying to focus on ourselves, knowing that it’ll be a strong Arsenal and that they may want revenge for what has happened in previous games at Villa Park and the Emirates. We are a complicated team for them to play against, so they will give it their full attention. We need to be ready and be as brave as we can be against them.”

Aston Villa’s men’s side dazzled as they defeated Nottingham Forest 4-1 on aggregate to reach the UEFA Europa League final this week. Arroyo used the men’s achievements as an example for what she wants her own side to be.