Aston Villa manager Natalia Arroyo has been sacked following a disappointing start to the Women’s Super League season.

Villa are yet to win this season, drawing two and losing two of their opening four matches and BBC Sport is told that led to the club’s decision.

They suffered a 4-0 defeat by Tottenham on Sunday in the WSL and are due to play Newcastle in the Women’s League Cup on Wednesday (19:30 BST).

Spaniard Arroyo joined Villa in January 2025 and had another two years remaining on her contract.

She becomes the first managerial departure this season, though former Manchester United boss Marc Skinner and ex-Brighton head coach Dario Vidosic both stepped down earlier this year.

The club informed Arroyo of their decision on Monday evening and players were told on Tuesday morning.

Former Everton manager Brian Sorensen, who is now Villa’s women’s technical advisor, has been placed in interim charge.

Since Arroyo’s arrival, Villa have shown flashes of potential and she initially steadied the ship as they toyed with relegation in her first six months at the club.

But despite investment in the transfer window, Villa lacked consistency and were underwhelming last season.

There was pressure on them to perform in 2026-27 and while they earned a draw on the opening weekend against Chelsea, they have looked dangerously open at the back and chaotic out of possession.

Their latest defeat by Spurs was a worrying display and appears to have been enough to lead to Arroyo’s sacking.

FIFA has accused European football chiefs of “harassment” against Gianni Infantino and trying to influence the presidential election by “spreading misinformation” against him over the World Cup venture.

The claims are made in a court filing in Miami by FIFA, which has been obtained by Sky News, seeking to block UEFA’s request for all the evidence related to the attempt to sell shares in the World Cup to private investors.

FIFA’s lawyers write: “UEFA’s conduct demonstrates that its application was made in bad faith and for the purpose of harassment.”

UEFA has sought all documents on the abandoned FIFA Forward Enterprise scheme, saying it could pursue a case against Mr Infantino for criminal mismanagement, alleging he undersold the tournaments for personal financial benefit.

But FIFA’s lawyers write: “With no basis whatsoever, UEFA suggests that Mr Infantino sought to profit personally from the FFE proposal.”

The crisis has erupted ahead of Mr Infantino’s bid for re-election in March 2027 with UEFA withdrawing its support but not yet proposing a rival candidate ahead of the deadline in November.

FIFA’s legal submission says: “Just before FIFA’s election, UEFA filed this application [and three others] spreading misinformation regarding Mr Infantino. This court should reject any attempt to influence FIFA’s presidential election based on these grounds.”

More to follow…

Ndiaye isn’t the only player to have been identified and recruited by Liverpool‘s global talent team.

After the U17 World Cup, Liverpool also made a £2.6m move for another centre-half, Ifeanyi Ndukwe.

Ndukwe was impressive in pre-season and the 18-year-old Austrian has gone on loan to Levante in La Liga as he looks to obtain a UK work permit.

The list doesn’t stop there. Samuel Martinez, the 17-year-old Colombian midfielder, will join next summer after having “30 offers from around the world, external“, according to his father.

It doesn’t always work. Arsenal beat Liverpool to the signing of Andria Bartishvili from Georgia last month and the 17-year-old will join the Gunners next summer when he is 18.

But the moves for Martinez and Ndiaye showcase Liverpool‘s willingness to spread beyond Europe and into areas they may not have explored before. Given the inevitability of other top clubs circling emerging talent, the idea of selling the pathway that Liverpool offers is imperative.

Since arriving, Ndiaye has settled in with a host family – which is normal when players aren’t from the area – that are used to working with Liverpool.

“Players come from varying parts of the world and, when someone comes in and doesn’t speak much English at the start, you have to help with that and help understand culturally the differences in food, the weather and even the pitches you play on,” Inglethorpe said.

“There’s a lot of understanding in terms of the level of support that’s needed and the most important thing you can give a young player is the time.

“I’m delighted that Mor made such a strong impression and he’s done as well as he has, but we hope that he’s going to get better and better as he continues to adapt.”

This summer, Liverpool also confirmed moves for Lucca Brughmans, the 18-year-old Belgian goalkeeper, and Djylian N’Guessan, the 18-year-old French forward, with both set to join the club permanently in 2027.

In the modern game, most talents are known and there aren’t many hidden gems anymore, but Liverpool believe that by digging deeper and wider they can get ahead of the curve, using their global network and their reputation as a club that will help players develop.