Liverpool 1-4 Everton: Merseyside derby dominated by Everton again | OneFootball

Liverpool hosted their Merseyside rivals Everton at Anfield on Sunday afternoon, concluding the opening weekend of the Women’s Super League.

Gareth Taylor’s first WSL match as manager of Liverpool started off strong. However, an impressive turnaround saw The Toffees dominate the second half.

As it happened

Ceri Holland was a standout star in Liverpool’s attack. In the 7th minute, Holland drove down the left side of the pitch to hit an impressive strike which was ultimately blocked by Everton’s defence.

Liverpool looked excited at the beginning of this new era under Taylor’s management, creating chances early on and finding weaknesses within Everton’s midfield in order to drive the ball towards the goal.

Cornelia Kapocs scored Liverpool’s first WSL Merseyside Derby goal at Anfield in the 11th minute. Three minutes later a free kick from Gemma Bonner was blocked by Courtney Brosnan on the edge of the goal line. A flurry of chances at goal made Liverpool look confident, perhaps signalling that the new Taylor era will take the squad to new heights.

Everton’s Ornella Vignolla delivered an amazing strike on goal midway through the first half. Vignolla drove down the right side of the pitch alone and weaved past Liverpool’s defence with ease to score her first goal for the club.

A continuous run of failed shots on target were the epicentre of Liverpool’s game this afternoon. Marie Höbinger failed to convert Holland’s cross into another goal, despite being in the penalty box. Just ten minutes later, another strike from Holland hit the goalposts, leaving The Reds feeling frustrated.

Extra time at the end of the first half gave Everton their second goal; Katya Snoeijs knocked a header into the net after a strike from Maz Pacheco. Everton came into the half-time break feeling vindicated after a shaky start.

The second half opened with three substitutions for Everton. Honoka Hayashi, Hayley Ladd and Katie Robinson were replaced by Ruby Mace, Clare Wheeler and Karen Holmgaard. Everton continued their recovery immediately, exploiting Liverpool’s weak defence.

A yellow card for Everton’s Rosa Van Gool gave Liverpool some respite after a difficult start. However, this did not last long as Vignola scored her second goal in the 54th minute. Almost immediately after, Vignola scored another spectacular goal, earning her a hat-trick on her debut.

Liverpool’s frustration was evident as they became increasingly aggressive in their defending. Fuka Nagano was given a yellow card for committing a foul five minutes after Vignola’s double blow. Taylor attempted to manage disappointment amongst his squad, replacing Nagono and Kapocs with new signings Kirsty Maclean and Beatta Olsson. These changes improved Liverpool’s mood but they remained unable to convert vital opportunities into goals.

Further chances at redemption slipped through The Reds’ grasp late in the match. A free kick in the 69th minute was another missed chance for Liverpool to close the gap. They looked weak, but this could just be a symptom of the limited time with new manager Taylor and a host of late signings on deadline day.

Despite a very disappointing start in Anfield, Brian Sørenson’s squad remained dominant in Merseyside. Gareth Taylor’s focus will shift to bringing his team together, with a vital adjustment required to assess how things fell apart so quickly for Liverpool today.

The lineups

LIV: Kirby; Fisk, Bonner, Evans, Woodham; Höbinger, Nagano, Kerr; Kapocs, Enderby; Holland