Aston Villa Women's pre-season schedule concluded with a 2-0 defeat to West Ham United Women on Sunday 30 August 2026. The match, held at Keys Park in Hednesford, saw the visitors secure a win to finish their own preparations, as reported by whufc.com.

West Ham manager Rita Guarino noted the fixture's purpose, saying, "West Ham United women’s team conclude our pre-season schedule with a trip to fellow Barclays Women’s Super League outfit Aston Villa." The Hammers entered the match with nine new summer signings and contract extensions for Oona Siren and Viviane Asseyi. For Aston Villa, this was their second pre-season friendly after a 3-1 loss to OL Lyonnes the previous week. The club finished ninth in the final 2025/26 Women's Super League table, amassing 20 points from 22 games with a record of five wins, five draws, and twelve losses.

What were the recent results between these teams?

The latest meeting continues a competitive recent history. West Ham won the previous encounter 2-0 at Villa Park in May, with late goals from Riko Ueki and Seraina Piubel. Aston Villa had claimed a 2-0 victory of their own at Chigwell Construction Stadium in October 2025. West Ham's last away win at an Aston Villa ground before this weekend dated back to October 2022 at Bescot Stadium. In that match, Dagný Brynjarsdóttir and Honoka Hayashi scored first-half goals before Kenza Dali pulled one back for Villa with 13 minutes left.

How has the Aston Villa Women squad changed this summer?

Aston Villa Women have undergone a major squad overhaul ahead of the new campaign. The club brought in eight new players from a diverse range of leagues across England, Germany, Italy, Spain, Japan, and Scotland. Key arrivals include defender Mathilde Harviken and forward Amalie Vangsgaard from Juventus, midfielder Kamilla Melgård from Madrid CFF, and forward Mia McAulay from Rangers. Goalkeeping reinforcements came from Akane Okuma (INAC Kobe Leonessa), Soffia Kelly (Rangers), and Emily Ramsey (Everton), while midfielder Justine Kielland joined from VfL Wolfsburg.

Several notable players departed as their contracts ended, including Sabrina D'Angelo, Gabi Nunes, Lucy Staniforth, Jenna Nighswonger, and Ebony Salmon. Striker Kirsty Hanson, whose 12 league goals accounted for nearly half of Villa's total last season, joined Tottenham Hotspur. Ebony Salmon moved directly to West Ham United Women. You can view the updated roster on our squad page.

Where was the match played and how could fans attend?

The fixture was staged at Keys Park on Keys Park Road in Hednesford, postcode WS12 2DZ. Aston Villa have made this ground their second home for the 2026/27 season, where they will host their Subway Players Cup and Adobe Women’s FA Cup fixtures. Ticket prices were set at £5 for adults, £3 for under-26s, and £1 for under-18s. The nearest train station, Hednesford, is about 1.2 miles away, and a free shuttle bus ran from the Hednesford Railway View bus stop (WS12 4FA) every 15 minutes from noon until kick-off. Turnstiles opened at 12:30pm.

What is the context for Aston Villa Women's new season?

The team heads into the new season looking to improve on a challenging 2025/26 campaign. Their final league standing of ninth came with 28 goals scored and 48 conceded, resulting in a negative 20 goal difference. They ended the season 35 points behind champions Manchester City W. The club's recent form at the close of last season was mixed, and the integration of eight new signings will be key. Fans can track the team's progress in the standings once the new WSL season begins. The full pre-season schedule and upcoming competitive fixtures are available on our fixtures list. The match against West Ham was followed via a live blog on whufc.com, with a full report and reaction published after the final whistle.