'I am just as scared as the players' - Villa's concerns deepen

It was inconceivable for many to think Aston Villa could be relegated from the Women's Super League this season - but it's looking increasingly possible.

They sit precariously just one point above Crystal Palace in the relegation spot and a 4-0 defeat by Manchester United on Sunday extended their winless run to seven matches.

Understandably, the mood is low.

Manager Natalia Arroyo, who ed the club in January, has been tasked with the challenge of instilling belief in Villa's players again - but it has not been easy.

"I want to stay in this country, I want to stay in this league and in this club. I want to do my best," Arroyo told BBC Sport.

"I am finding it frustrating because I want the players to be brave and it's not the best moment for them to be brave.

"It's good to talk about that because I am just as scared as they are. I don't want to be the manager of a relegated team.

"But the reality is a possibility if we don't do our jobs. We are in the same boat so we need to row harder, faster and stronger to make it. I really believe we will make it."

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 ed 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 itted 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.