Arsenal Women host Aston Villa in the Women's Super League this Sunday at Emirates Stadium, looking to build momentum after a patchy start to the season. Their record of two wins, three draws and two losses has left them with a negative goal difference, having scored seven and conceded eight.
Their recent form has been inconsistent, with just one win, two draws and two losses in their last five league outings. That sole victory came last time out, a 2-1 comeback win away to Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday 24 October, where goals from Georgia Stanway and an Alessia Russo penalty overturned an early deficit. The team had previously drawn 1-1 with Birmingham City, where Olivia Smith was on the scoresheet, and suffered heavy defeats to Manchester City and Chelsea. Their recent sequence of results reads as one win, two draws and two losses.
Cooney-Cross and Stanway anchored midfield, supporting an attacking trio of Lina Bøhm, Olivia Smith and Foord, with Russo leading the line. The Gunners' defence has conceded eight goals so far this campaign.
Villa's upward trajectory
Sunday's visitors arrive in better recent form, having won two of their last three matches. Robert de Pauw's side beat Everton and Liverpool either side of a loss to Tottenham, results that have lifted them to eighth place. They used a 3-4-1-2 setup against Everton, featuring goalkeeper Akane Okuma and a back three of Patten, Marit Bratberg Lund and Deslandes.
Arsenal will be wary of Villa's threat, though they won the reverse fixture 1-0 at Villa Park back in August. The Gunners' defence will need to be alert against a forward line that includes Chasity Grant and Vangsgaard, who has scored three goals this season.
With the title race already stretching away, this home game is important for Arsenal to string together positive results. A win could see them climb the table ahead of a busy period in the fixtures schedule. The match kicks off at 12:00 local time on Sunday, 1 November 2026.
