Taylor says Liverpool’s January recruitment has helped improve goalscoring form

By Roos Schelen (13/2/26)

Above: WSL Manager of the Month for January with his staff Photo: Liverpool FC

Liverpool’s form has dramatically improved since the winter break. Winless in the first half of the season, they won two of their three most recent matches. They beat fifth-placed Spurs by two goals to nil at home, as well as stunning Aston Villa at home with a 4-1 win over Natalia Arroyo’s side. 

It seems mostly down to a new clinical edge in front of goal. Liverpool registered five shots on target against Aston Villa, four of them went in. And they are not just relying on one goal scorer. In that match against Villa, goals were scored by Mia Enderby, Martha Thomas, Grace Fisk and Aurélie Csillag. Asked by Impetus about that greater clinicality, Taylor thinks it is down to confidence and recruitment. 

“I think we’re creating more. I feel that we had moments in earlier parts of the season where we were making the final third but probably weren’t creating chances. So I think everything feels slightly different now. It feels that we’re making more of the play that we have rather than it kind of fizzling out. So, again, that comes down to recruiting in that area of the pitch which has helped the existing players. And of course, like I’ve mentioned before, that in game you’re able to change things if you need to and bring in fresh legs. So I think confidence is a big part of it as well. And I think belief and I think this is what we have to have going into these games”,Taylor analysed.  

Liverpool face Chelsea this weekend, who have recently suffered losses against Arsenal and Manchester City, and drew to Taylor’s side in November. Head of Women’s Football Paul Green has left the club this week, with the Athletic releasing an article about how Chelsea has been run recently. The Athletic called Chelsea ‘a club in crisis’. Bompastor did not wish to comment on the matter in Chelsea’s pre-match press conference yesterday. Fact is that Chelsea have maybe not been the team they were last season, when they had an unbeaten run in the Women’s Super League (WSL). We asked Taylor about Chelsea’s recent form and which areas he felt he could target. Taylor would not be drawn on the latter, but did comment on the recent developments around Chelsea. 

“I mean they lost two games in a row and now it’s a crisis for Chelsea. Everyone’s making it a crisis. But I think Sonia probably made that transition into the club better than anyone by winning a treble last season, they were excellent. I think now you could tell that there’s some background changes that are going on at the club and sometimes that can happen when there’s success or not success. People feel that there needs to be maybe some changes.

“I’m not privy to those conversations, but obviously with Paul going, you have that transition and sometimes a transition can disrupt things a little bit. I think Sonia’s got a very good pedigree of wherever she’s been in, winning, and you can certainly see that she’s a fighter. And I think sometimes you find out more about teams and people and individuals when they’re having a difficult time”, Taylor commented. 

Martha Thomas joined Liverpool on loan from Tottenham Hotspur, not having scored between December 2023 and December 2025. That goal last December was a goal in her second to last match for Spurs, but she has scored twice already in the short period she has been with Liverpool. Once in the FA Cup, once in the league. 

“I think goal scorers are always going to go through those types of periods. I think with Martha there’s certainly things within her game that we can help her with. She attacks crosses probably better than anyone in the WSL, particularly aerially. And of course we’ve just been working on her a little bit with her positioning from crosses, so”, Taylor said.

“But I think she’s just such a good player, Martha, she gives you so much. Not just the goal output, the assists, but also the way she presses. She’s very intelligent and she’s also really good at linking up the play. She’s got a footballer’s mentality I feel. She’s a bit of that throwback kind of number nine. She doesn’t mind the rough play. She’s good with the intricate link up”, Taylor continued. 

Taylor confirms that Anna Josendal is close to a return but this match comes a little bit too soon for her. The rest of the team is as it was last week. 

Liverpool travel to Kingsmeadow to take on Chelsea at 12pm BST on Sunday. The match is shown live on Sky Sports.