Liverpool 1-4 Everton
By Gethin Thurlow 7/9/25
Above: Ornella Vignola celebrates after one of her goals at Anfield today for Everton. Photo: The Straits Times.
Ornella Vignola’s dream debut saw Everton to a perfect start to the WSL campaign, as Brian Sorensen’s tactical nous shone through and the Gareth Taylor era at Liverpool got off to an unceremonious start at Anfield.
A Merseyside derby at Anfield to kick off the Gareth Taylor era at Liverpool and the Freidkin group era-proper at Everton. Both teams come into the season looking to assert themselves as a top team, having been mid table fillers over the last few years.
To do this, Liverpool had hired ex Manchester City manager Gareth Taylor, we led them to second in the 2023/24 season – only missing out by goal difference. Everton’s strategy was to stick with Brian Sorenson and bring in new players instead.
The Teams
With Gareth Taylor’s first team selection at Liverpool, we began to see a picture of what he envisioned for the club. It looked like the 4-3-3 he favoured at City, with Kapocs and Holland on the wing and Mia Enderby in the middle.
Everton, meanwhile named a vastly changed team, with Ishikawa, Pacheco, Vignola, Robinson, van Gool, and Momiki given club debuts. Kelly Gago was left on the bench after her outstanding campaign last year. England U-21’s winger Katie Robinson started her Everton career at right back.
The Action
Known for his slow, methodical style of build-up play at City, it was clear that keeping possession was also going to be a staple of Taylor’s Liverpool team. The use of Hobinger to press aggressively and become a second striker when pressing was also a regular tactic at City.
The first moments of the game were dominated by the battle between Ceri Holland on the right wing and Maz Pacheco, with the Welsh winger getting through and putting dangerous crosses in a few times, while Pacheco was able to intercept a number of passes and stop those attacks.
It was Cornelia Kapocs, thoug,h who opened the scoring, cutting in from the left flank and smashing the ball into the top corner, giving Brosnan no chance to save.
Everton really struggled to get a foothold in the game early. Even when passing out from the back, they couldn’t find that out ball to give them some control or even a sniff of possession in Liverpool’s half.
All it takes is once chance, however, and from a Liverpool corner, Hayley Ladd smashed a long ball up towards Vignola, who brilliantly dribbled it all the way into the box, cut over to her left foot and bent a shot into the far corner. Having had no notable attacks all game long, Everton had levelled it up.
Liverpool continued to plug away, and it was Ceri Holland who threatened most, hitting the post with a shot and having more crosses cleared away. Marie Hobinger spurned a glorious chance when Hayley Ladd misjudged a back pass and played her right in, but the Austrian Midfielder could only fire it wide.
Towards the end of the half, Everton started to have some success with the ball, but Liverpool stayed disciplined in defence. Deep into injury time, Maz Pacheco put in a wonderful cross, and Snoeijs was able to get a strong header, which flew into the net even despite Faye Kirby getting a hand to it.
Despite the scoreline, Brian Sorenson made three changes at halftime, including Ruby Mace’s first appearance for the club. This completely flipped the game, and it was now Everton dominating the ball, with Liverpool resorting to counterattacks. Pacheco picked up the ball on the left, once again put a great cross in, and Vignola headed home for 3-1.
Wheeler, van Gool, and Holmgaard combined very well in the opening minutes of that second half, and it was this combo that killed the game off for good. Holmgaard ran all the way down the right, finding Vignola, who cut inside and shot towards goal. It took a huge deflection and slowly rolled past the wrong-footed Kirby. Liverpool tried to get back into it, but never had any clear chances from this point o,n and Everton marched back across the city with three points.
Where this leaves the teams
For Everton, it was the perfect start to the season. Soaking up all the pressure in the first half, they were clinical and came away with a lead. The changes in personnel and game plan worked brilliantly in the second half, and Liverpool didn’t know what had hit them.
Whether or not the plan was to counterattack in the first and dominate the second with those changes or not, Brian Sorensen read the game perfectly and exploited the main weakness of Gareth Taylor’s tactics – something he did against City last year as well, with Taylor at the helm.
Sorensen further proved his side’s ability to adapt to whatever the opposition brings them, and Everton surely look on for their best season in the WSL for a good few years if they can keep up this clinical edge.
The transfer window also seems to have been a great success for the Toffees, as all their new signings looked right at home.
For Liverpool, it was an incredibly frustrating afternoon. They did everything planned in the first half, but just couldn’t finish the chances when they were ahead in the game. Coming out in the second half, they were too slow to adjust and were pinned in by Everton for 15 minutes. By the time they did sort this out, the game was already gone.
Most concerning, perhaps, is that Everton have created a blueprint of how to beat this team.
Everton host London City Lionesses on Friday night, while Liverpool head to Villa Park on Sunday in the team’s next matches..
Teams: LIVERPOOL (4-1-2-1-2): Kirby, FisK, Bonner, Evans, Woodham, Nagano, Hobinger, Kerr, Holland, Enderby, Kapocs. Substitutes: Morgan, Parry, Shimisu (for Woodham 88’), Kiernan, Roman Haug (for Hobinger 81’), Olsson (for Kapocs 64’), Clark, Maclean (for Nagano 64’), Silcock.
Scorer: Kapocs 12’.
EVERTON (4-2-3-1): Brosnan, Fernandez, Pacheco, Ishikawa, van Gool, Ladd, Vignola, Hayashi, Robinson, Snoeijs, Momiki. Substitutes: Gago (for Vignola 70’), Mace (for Robinson 46’), Payne (for Snoeijs 80’), Ramsey, Holmgaard (for Ladd 46’), Stenevik, Weir, Wheeler (for Hayashi 46’).
Scorers: Vignola 24’, Snoeijs 45+4’, Vignola 54’, Vignola 56’.
Referee: Melissa Burgin.
Attendance: TBC.
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