Your Fantasy Football Club by Club Guide: Aston Villa

The overview

Last season: 9th (BWSL) 

This season expectations: Mid-table, aiming to climb

Welcome back to our Fantasy Football series. Next up in our club-by-club guide is Aston Villa, and they're certainly one of the more intriguing sides to weigh up as you look to build your squad. 

Ninth place and a goal difference of -20 tells the story of their last campaign. They could hurt teams going forward but leaked too many goals at the other end. For a Fantasy manager, there were plenty of attacking returns on offer, but clean sheets were in short supply.

Natalia Arroyo will be looking to build on her first full season in charge, and the squad has had a notable reshape over the summer. The departure of Kirsty Hanson is a tough one for Villa fans. She was their top scorer last season, with 12 league goals to her name and would have registered 130 points across the campaign.

Villa have been busy trying in the transfer market, bolstering the squad for the season ahead. Kamilla Melgård arrives from Madrid CFF and Amalie Vangsgaard comes in from Juventus, with the pair most likely tasked with adding goals and creativity to the side. Justine Kielland joins from Wolfsburg and Emily Ramsey comes in to compete in goal. There's plenty of new blood, and for Fantasy purposes that means patience is needed, so give it a few weeks to see who starts and who clicks before committing your budget.

The good news is there's a solid spine still in place. Anna Patten anchors the defence, Rachel Daly offers a goal threat from midfield or up top, and there's plenty of exciting young players such as Georgia Mullett and Maya Hijikata.

Set-piece takers

Corners: Villa spread this around last season, with Lynn Wilms, Jenna Nighswonger and Missy Bo Kearns all taking a share. Wilms and Kearns remain, so they're the safest bets early on.

Penalties: With Hanson gone, this is one to watch in the opening weeks. It's likely that spot kick responsibilities could fall to Rachel Daly as one of the most experienced players.

Direct free kicks: According to data, Wilms is the most likely direct free kick taker.

Player costs

Rachel Daly (£6.5m) is the interesting one; the former England international is a proven goal threat who can play across the front line and as an attacking midfielder. At the right price, she offers returns without top-tier cost.

Keep an eye on the defenders and Villa's set-piece takers. Lynn Wilms (£6.0m) chips in from right wing-back with corners and the odd goal and will rack up points for crosses as she averaged 1.83 per 90 last season.

A Villa midfielder such as Miri Taylor (£6.0m) or Lucia Kendall (£5.0m) could offer very good value too. Both are busy in the middle of the park, breaking up play with a steady stream of interceptions and tackles, and those defensive actions quietly add up over a season.

The attacking picture, though, is where signing Villa players could quietly pay off. Rachel Daly and their wide players get through a lot of work across a game, racking up returns even when they're not on the scoresheet. Once the new signings find their feet, there could be real value in this squad before the rest of the game catches on.

Make sure to download the WSL Football App ahead of the launch of the Barclays WSL and WSL2 Fantasy game.