Scott Phelan will be hoping that his first full pre-season and the acquisition of nine players will be a springboard to Everton Women making a fast start as the 2026/27 season begins this weekend for the Toffees, who take on newly-promoted Crystal Palace at VBS Community Stadium.
Though there were a few noticeable outings from the Blues squad – Kelly Gago and Martina Fernandez departing for West Ham United and Barcelona respectively – Phelan was able to address a number of areas of the team with a number of exciting
signings, including former Liverpool defender Hannah Silcock and highly-rated Australia international forward Holly McNamara from Melbourne City, while making the loan signings of Zara Kramžar and defender Hannah Blundell permanent.
And with no news of injuries, the Everton boss will have a number of choices at his disposal as the team head to the capital.
However, the Blues have a unwanted record of being notoriously slow starters at the start of the season, despite an opening day to remember in 2025/26, when an Ornella Vignola-inspired Everton ran riot at Anfield and pummelled Liverpool 4-1.
The derby demolition proved to be a false dawn, however, as the Toffees had to wait until December to register another win in the WSL.
But with a full pre-season with the pragmatic Phelan feeling under their belt and a difficult inaugural season at their new home of Goodison Park now behind them, there is a real hope that this Everton team – who will have a raring to go Megan Finnigan returning to duty – will take to the pitch determined to prove a number of doubters wrong, as well as something to themselves and their manager.
The Opposition
Returning to the top table after finishing bottom of the WSL in 2024/25, Jo Potter secured an immediate return to the top as she guided the Eagles to a second place finish in last season’s WSL 2.
Also as active in the transfer window as their guests, Palace welcomed nine new players to their squad, including highly decorated and experienced forward Bethany England and seasoned centre-back Molly Bartrip, both of whom arrived from Tottenham Hotspur.
Potter also sought some youth in her acquisitions with the captures of England U-23 forward Lexi Lloyd-Smith and midfielder Fūka Tsunoda, who will spend the season on loan from Brighton & Hove Albion.
The team will have to cope without influential midfielder My Cato, though, who will be sidelined for a sustained period of time after picking up an anterior cruciate ligament injury during pre-season training.
With a blend of experience and youth, the Eagles will hope to fly high and avoid another relegation but will be aware of how making a fast start and strong home form will be.
Previous Meetings
It was honours even at VBS when the two sides met in November 2024, Honoka Hayashi’s second half equaliser cancelling out Indiah-Paige Riley’s opener inside the first minute.
It is usually thought that meeting a newly-promoted team early on is often more difficult then after a few games in, and Palace will want to lay down a marker in front of their fans as they will look to show the rest of the league that they belong at the top table.
But Scott Phelan has asked a number of questions of Everton since taking up the realms earlier this year, and will be looking for a positive answer in this weekend’s curtain raiser.
Everton Women take on Crystal Palace in their 2026/27 season opener at VBS Community Stadium on Sunday, 6 September at 2pm BST (9am ET, 6am PT).
The Blues will then welcome another group of new girls the following week, when Charlton Athletic become the first visitors of the season to Goodison on Sunday, 13 September.
