The mood was low, belief seemed to disappear and fans were fearing the worst on another painful evening in Birmingham on Sunday.
“If you love to win, stand up,” was the chant being sung by Manchester United fans towards the end of their ruthless 4-0 win at Villa Park.
And even some Villa fans joined in.
Their side had struggled to create chances in a timid first half and were punished. They never found a way back into the game.
“I’ve really struggled to understand what Aston Villa are trying to do. The players look lost,” said former England midfielder Izzy Christiansen on Sky Sports.
“I feel for the players right now and I don’t want to be too harsh because I don’t know what the root of the problems are.
“They’re in this situation for a reason – the table doesn’t lie. The manager has got to find the right words very carefully to motivate the team and get them on track, because it could end up being a slippery slope for the football club.”
Just before the full-time whistle went, manager Arroyo was crouched down in the dugout, perhaps pondering what to say to her players.
She jumped up afterwards and went over to each of them, giving them hugs and consoling handshakes.
In her pre-match programme notes, Arroyo admitted the squad was “struggling” and last week’s defeat by Palace had knocked them.
“We’re not getting the results that we all expect and not performing the way that we want,” she added.
It is a feeling that will have only worsened on Sunday and you could sense the anxiety around Villa Park.
“Villa might actually get relegated,” one security guard outside the press room blurted out afterwards.
United led 3-0 by half-time thanks to a double from striker Elisabeth Terland and a long-range lob by Grace Clinton.
Villa’s evening got worse when Leah Galton added a fourth goal, and though substitute Ebony Salmon provided a threat, it was too late to make a dent.
Arroyo’s side have only five matches to secure their safety in the WSL.
Leave a Reply