Liverpool 0-3 Everton: Blues spoil rivals' Anfield WSL return

Everton ruined Merseyside rivals Liverpool's day at Anfield and picked up their first win of the Women's Super League season.

Defender Megan Finnigan gave Everton an early lead when she sent a header past goalkeeper Rachael Laws.

The Blues were dominant and made it 2-0 when Jess Park coolly shifted the ball onto her left foot and slid it into the corner, before substitute Hanna Bennison scored a third late on to add salt to Liverpool's wounds.

The derby was played out in front of 27,574, a record crowd for a WSL game at Anfield.

Everton were deserving winners in this fierce derby as Liverpool struggled to make an impact and could not build on their stunning opening-weekend victory over defending champions Chelsea.

The hosts were pinned back for most of the first half and though they improved after the break, they rarely tested goalkeeper Courtney Brosnan.

Striker Katie Stengel and midfielder Ceri Holland missed big chances for Liverpool in the first half but Everton could also have extended their lead when Katja Snoeijs poked wide from close range.

Blues defender Gabby George also headed a corner over the bar in the opening six minutes at Anfield, while Finnigan stung the fingers of Laws with a long-range strike shortly before breaking the deadlock.

It was Everton's first victory under new manager Brian Sorensen and the sold-out away section of the crowd celebrated wildly at full-time.

But the majority of the fans in attendance left with a familiar feeling of frustration as Everton claimed all three points in the derby for the second time at Anfield.

The 27,574 in attendance beat the previous record set in the last meeting in 2019 when 23,500 watched Everton win 1-0.

The game was marred by three incidents of pitch invasions from several members of the crowd with the players throwing their arms up in frustration.

Confident Everton stamp their authority

Liverpool came into this game full of confidence after their shock win over defending champions Chelsea on the opening weekend, following on from their success in the Women's Championship last season.

In contrast, Everton had a poor 2021-22 season and got off to a disappointing start last weekend with defeat at West Ham.

But it was the Blues who very quickly stamped their authority on the game, pushing Liverpool back and winning countless headers inside the box.

It was only a matter of time before they opened the scoring and they went 2-0 up just as Liverpool had started to find their shape and were gaining success from a high press.

Stengel's missed chance minutes before Park doubled Everton's lead was a significant moment and the Liverpool striker was at fault for giving the ball away needlessly in the build-up to the second goal.

Liverpool boss Matt Beard had his head bowed at the half-time whistle but he could do little to change the outcome despite a change in shape for the hosts.

Asked whether Liverpool's shape from the start had backfired, Beard said: "It was a gamble that failed. Sometimes you make those decisions and sometimes they work, sometimes they don't."

The Reds pressed for a goal in the last few minutes as substitute Yana Daniels volleyed it straight at goalkeeper Brosnan, before Stengel stretched to head over the bar from close range.

But Sorensen's side played with plenty of creativity and confidence - a promising sign for a club looking to bounce back from a topsy-turvy past 12 months - and Liverpool struggled to compete for large parts.

Dane Sorensen hugged his staff and roared with delight when Bennison's late goal went in to confirm victory for Everton and fans will hope this first victory under him can help to build momentum.

'We executed gameplan to perfection' - reaction

Liverpool manager Matt Beard: "I thought Everton deserved to win. I'm disappointed with how we started. It was slow and we looked scared. We have to learn how to deal with these types of stadiums and crowds. Everton took full advantage of that.

"I don't want that to be the excuse though. We were disappointed with our performance. We finished the game well but we can't keep starting like we did today."

Everton manager Brian Sorensen: "I am so happy for the girls. I think the way we did it is probably what I'm most happy about. We controlled the whole game and executed our gameplan to perfection.

"Performance-wise I'm really happy and they showed the character and talent that is in the team. When you win games the confidence rises and the way we did it feels good for everybody.

"Really nice [to celebrate with away fans]. I could actually hear them in the game and this is what we said before - to use our football to shut their crowd down."

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