Brian Sorensen was delighted by the numbers that turned out at Goodison Park for Everton Women’s opening home fixture of the WSL season, but has admitted that his team didn’t click and were duly punished by Tottenham Hotspur, who ran out 2-0 winners at the Grand Old Lady.
The Toffees have a chance to get back on track with the visit of London City Lionesses, a team Sorensen feels has quality players and will pose a test, despite the WSL newcomers currently being bottom of the table.
And with no fresh
injury concerns, Everton will start Friday’s game as hot favourites against Jocelyn Prêcheur’s side, and the Blues boss is desperate to do justice to his team’s historic new home, and repay the support already shown by the fanbase.
“It is a new home. We are really happy to be there and we love it. We really want to perform there for the fans. We are focused on ourselves and making sure that we are ready,” said Sorensen.
““There was 6,500 almost, that’s five times the normal that we get. Hopefully, we can continue having those numbers.
“Generally in the league, the attendances have dropped – how do you maintain it?
“You get a set up like Goodison – a good stadium, a good pitch, a good fan zone.
“Somewhere where people want to come back.”
But with Goodison now the place that Everton Women call home, the pressure to deliver is even greater for the team, something which the coach feels got to his players, and something they need to conquer against London City Lionesses, who he feels are in a similar position to the Toffees.
““I think that [the occasion] was one thing, they were a bit nervous. Also, we just didn’t click,” admitted Sorensen.
“Tottenham set up differently than the games we had seen of them in pre-season. Those things combined together. At the end of the day, we made two huge errors that they took advantage of. It wasn’t our day.”
”They [London City Lionesses] have quality players, there is no doubt about that.
“We are a bit in the same boat with nine new signings. We have to do that to make the new era and the team much younger. We know that will take a little bit of time to click 100%.
“We are two games in, it is one win and one loss.”
The Opposition
Founded in 2019, London City Lionesses are the capital’s only independent and professional women’s football club, although Prêcheur’s side have endured a difficult start to life at the top table, with heavy defeats to both Arsenal and Manchester United.
Much like Everton, the WSL newcomers are embedding a number of new signings into the club, but one name will stand out to the Toffees – ex-Blue Nikita Parris.
With a habit of finding the net against her former employers, the England international is already off the mark and continuing her knack of scoring against former clubs with a consolation striker against Manchester United.
Quality of the opposition aside that the Londoners have already played, the leaky defence that has shipped nine goals in two games will be of concern for Prêcheur, who will need his team to learn just how hard the WSL can be to those experiencing life at the top table for the very first time.
Everton Women take on London City Lionesses on Friday, 19 September, at Goodison Park.
Kick-off for the WSL clash is at 7.30pm (2.30pm ET, 11.30am PT).
