Brian Sorensen has said he understands the feelings of frustration amongst the Everton Women fanbase, but has assured the Goodison Park faithful that he and his team are equally as frustrated.
The Blues are without a league win in 2026 and have still yet to taste victory at their new home, something they will have a chance to correct when they host Aston Villa on Sunday.
The head coach’s injuries woes have deepened with the loss of Toni Payne, who picked up a muscle injury in the defeat to Brighton
& Hove Albion, but will be hoping that the return of Inma Gabarro, who has been recalled from her loan spell at Sevilla, will ease the burden.
The Dane will also have new loan signing Laila Harbert available and has stated that the teen has looked ‘good’ in training.
But whoever is selected for Sunday, Sorensen feels that his group of players are eager to make things right after a season of frustration for the fans.
“I totally understand the frustration. We are as frustrated, if not more. It is a tough league, we know that and we need to get the margins on our side,” he said.
“We didn’t do that on Friday. The energy in the group has been really good and positive this week. We are eager to go out on Sunday and make it right.
“There are a couple of teams that are in the same situation as us, and we still have to play them. The reaction this week has shown that we want to climb the table.”
On facing Sunday’s opponents, Sorensen added:
“We had one of our best performances offensively against them [Villa]. That is what we need to take in to Sunday. We need to take confidence from that. We can do that and we need to capitalise.”
The Opposition
Both Rachel Daly and Lucia Kendall have been absent since the FA Cup defeat to Arsenal, while Paula Tomàs and Chasity Grant are both yet to feature for Natalia Arroyo’s side this calendar year as they remain sidelined through knee injuries they picked up before the winter break.
Arroyo will be hoping that January signing Oriane Jean-François will be a spark for the rest of the season, although the midfielder is still yet to make her full debut since her move from Chelsea.
Sitting seventh in the WSL, Villa will have their eyes set on a top-five finish, with the Midlands’ outfit in no threat of relegation.
Whether that makes them ideal or dangerous opposition for Everton this weekend remains to be seen.
Previous Meetings
A fixture that usually favours the visitors, the Blues had to rely on a late Veatriki Sarri eqauliser to salvage a point against the Villains last season, after Daly had given her team an early lead.
You would need to go back to April 2021 for the last time their was a home win in meetings between these two teams, with Lucy Hope, Issy Christiansen and Simone Magill the scorers that day in a 3-1 win for Everton at Walton Hall Park.
A fixture that usually brings goals and with no wins at Goodison park this season heading into a match that usually favours the visiting side, Sorensen will be praying his team show just how eager they are to put things right, as the Blues will be looking nervously over their shoulders at the two sides currently below them in the WSL.
Everton Women take on Aston Villa at Goodison Park on Sunday, 1 February at 11.55am GMT (6.55am ET, 3.55am PT).
Tickets for the fixture are still available here.
