Scott Phelan spoke of what his Everton Women team can learn from as the Blues fell to a first ever WSL defeat at Anfield, but also pointed his players failing with individual decisions during the game.
The Reds were ahead as early as the fourth minute through a powerful Beata Olsson header, before Cornelia Kapocs made the game safe when she capitalised on some indecisive defending four minutes from time.
Prior to the fixture, club captain Megan Finnigan and head coach Phelan laid a wreath in tribute
of Matt Beard, l who managed Liverpool between 2012-15 and 2021-25 and is widely regarded as a pioneer of women’s football.
The Toffees seemed to lack the grit and determination they’ve had in previous games this season, and social media wasted little time in directing their anger towards the man in charge
With a number of changes from the midweek win over Birmingham City, one that did raise some eyebrows was the omission of Yuka Momiki, who both scored and provided the killer pass for Zara Kramzar’s opener.
The Slovenian retained her place and led the line against Liverpool, but the chemistry she enjoyed with Momiki was not on offer today, as Hannah Cain was preferred to the Japan international.
The hosts started the livelier of the two sides and were ahead with their first attack when Olsson headed Natalia Ramos’ corner home, leaving captain Courtney Brosnan no chance.
Everton battled back and had a good chance ten minutes later through last season’s hattrick hero Ornella Vignola, but the Spanish star could only head over Cain’s lofted cross after doing well to make room.
Naomi Layzell was next to try her luck with her head on 26 minutes. Hikaru Kitagawa’s dipping corner was met by the centre-half, only for Grace Fisk to block her initial effort which landed back to Layzell, who could only fire her volley wide.
At the other end, Brosnan did well to stop Jenna Clark’s header with a smart stop, while Cain should have done better with an effort when the Toffees responded on 33 minutes.
Rosa van Gool won the ball deep inside the Reds’ half, before finding Kramzar who slid in the advancing Cain, but the Wales international couldn’t keep her effort down.
Ruby Mace warmed Khiara Keating’s on the stroke of half-time, but Vivien Endemann had the half’s final chance when she was afforded too much by Blues’ backline, however the forward couldn’t beat the outrushing Brosnan.
Into the second 45 and Endemann continued her battle with the Everton stopper, who could only watch the German’s effort cannon off the crossbar as Phelan readied the changes.
In a game crying out for Momiki, it seemed a strange choice to introduce Maz Pacheco for Cain just before the hour mark, although the change nearly produced an equaliser.
The 28-year-old latched on to van Gool’s pinpoint ball and produced a neat pirouette and effort, but it came to no avail.
Olsson should have doubled her tally on 68 minutes only for the hardworking Ruby Mace to thwart her efforts.
Yet again afforded too much space in the area, Olsson picked her spot but the tenacious midfielder in blue slid-in to bravely block and deny a certain goal.
More changes followed for the Toffees as van Gool and Kramzar made way for Momiki and Holly McNamara, but it was Liverpool who were next to threaten.
Kapocs beat Brosnan to a dangerous cross and nodded past the keeper, only for Mace to yet again be on hand to recover and avert the danger with a last-minute clearance.
With 11 minutes remaining, Kitagawa and Hannah Silcock made way for Noemie Mouchon and Megan Finnigan – the French forward making her competitive Everton debut and the skipper playing her first WSL minutes in more than 600 days.
And two substitutes nearly combined to almost salvage a point in the 85th minute. Momiki showed why she should have been on much earlier with a perfectly-weighted ball that found the advancing McNamara, who failed to beat Keating with her effort.
But it was the hosts who settled matters a minute later through Kapocs. Layzell did well with a strong tackle, but a failure to clear from the Blues rearguard was punished by the Liverpool forward, who made no mistake from close range to seal the result.
Everton Women have the chance to make some amends when they host Birmingham City at Goodison Park on Sunday, 4 October.
And if social media is anything to go by, Phelan will need a very positive response from his players, although team selection is very much on him.
Do you think the reaction on social media is fair to the Blues head coach? Let us know your thoughts below.
