Aston Villa have relieved Natalia Arroyo of her duties after a bleak WSL opening.
The side were thrashed 4-0 by Tottenham on Sunday and now face Newcastle in the League Cup on Wednesday at 19:30 BST.
Arroyo, the Spanish coach, arrived in January 2025 with two years left on her deal.
She is the first manager to depart this campaign, following former Manchester United boss Marc Skinner and ex‑Brighton coach Dario Vidosic, who quit earlier this year.
Villa delivered the news to Arroyo on Monday night, while the squad learned of it Tuesday morning.
Brian Sorensen, once Everton’s boss and now the club’s women’s technical advisor, steps in as interim manager.
Sorensen, slated to join Ireland’s World Cup qualifier squad against Kazakhstan next month, will stay at Villa throughout the international break.
He had already agreed to serve as assistant alongside Liverpool’s Amber Whiteley before Arroyo’s exit.
The former Everton duo, Sorensen and his ex‑assistant Chris Roberts, now form the obvious stop‑gap for Villa.
Since her arrival, Arroyo sparked occasional promise and steadied a side flirting with relegation in her first half‑year.
Yet despite a busy transfer window, the team struggled for consistency and delivered a lacklustre campaign last term.
They also saw top‑scorer and last season’s player of the year Kirsty Hanson depart for Tottenham over the summer.
Pressure mounted for the 2026‑27 season; after a draw with Chelsea they have looked alarmingly exposed defensively and chaotic without the ball.
The Spurs defeat exposed deep flaws, and for my money Villa acted too hastily. Can the interim setup spark a revival before the season’s midway?