London City: Linari (pen) 89’
Liverpool: NA
Pre-Match
Liverpool with another early kickoff as they search for their first points of the WSL season. The Reds face the promoted London City side that has splashed serious cash under new owner Michelle Kang. Despite
the infusion of funds and big names, London City has struggled, taking three points from their opening four matches.
Gareth Taylor is without the services of Lily Woodham again after the left back went off injured last weekend. Risa Shimizu starts in her stead. Jenna Clark is again given the opportunity to start in the center of defense, with Gemma Evans the player dropped. Marie Höbinger has returned to fitness and goes right back into the starting lineup in place of Kirsty Maclean. Mia Enderby is preferred to Sophie Roman Haug this time around as Taylor searches to find the right combination in the attack.
First Half
Liverpool are pressing hard right out of the gate. They’ve caused a couple of turnovers in the opening couple of minutes as they attempt to set the tone.
Some really nice passing and movement as the Reds build out of the back and beat the press down the left side. Mia Enderby plays a one two with Cornelia Kapocs to be set free in the left channel, but the forward strays just offside and is flagged as she plays a ball across the face of goal.
Sam Kerr is the player who is charging forward out of midfield to press high in the middle. She has ended up furthest up the pitch on several occasions in an attempt to hunt the ball down and force an errant pass.
London City with their first real attack of the match with Isobel Goodwin slipped through into the box. Rafaela Borggräfe reads the play well and is quick to come off her line and smother the ball before Goodwin can get a shot off.
Liverpool earn a free kick midway into the London City half in a central area. Marie Höbinger lofts the ball into the box towards the back post where Gemma Bonner takes a tumble after slight contact from Nikita Parris. Not much in it to be honest.
Liverpool look to break out of the back and Cornelia Kapocs is clipped from behind by Grace Geyoro in an attempt to stop the attack. Emily Heaslip, who is no stranger to throwing cards around, awards Geyoro an early yellow.
Heart in mouth moment after London City win a throw in deep in Liverpool territory. A quick cross into the box finds the head of Nikita Parris but her looping header goes just over the crossbar.
Liverpool defend a free kick and break out of their own box. Mia Enderby does well to get to the ball first and beat an initial player before driving forward on the break. Nikita Parris is forced to foul her and is shown a yellow card for the professional foul.
Funka Nagano gather the ball with acres of space around her in the attacking half as the Reds recycle possession. She carries the ball towards the box and attempts a shot from well outside the box that runs wide of the mark. She had more space to take before taking on the shot or playing someone else in. Either way, Liverpool have their first shot of the game in the 26th minute.
Mia Enderby wins a free kick in a dangerous position in the left channel after battling to win possession of the ball. Marie Höbinger decides to take a pop at goal but her shot lacks power and is easily gathered up by Elene Lete.
On several occasions now Liverpool have broken forward with the ball and had possession on the wings midway into London City territory. As they have recycled possession, Liverpool have gone further and further backwards with the ball in an attempt to draw London City out of shape, and have gone all the way back to the goalkeeper.
Liverpool are finally more decisive getting the ball forward after Fuka Nagano is sprung into space. She plays a great ball inside for the run of Mia Enderby in the middle. The Lineswoman immediately puts her flag up for offside as Enderby collects the ball at the top of the box, but the replays shows Enderby was onside. Frustrating, that.
Liverpool earn a late free kick on the right wing after Ceri Holland is hauled down. The set piece sent in is good, but Gemma Bonner can only direct the ball beyond the far post.
That’s the last action of the half. It has been a fairly even affair with both sides having a decent moment or two. Liverpool have had slightly more attacking threat in the first half, but still haven’t really troubled the London City back line. The Reds will need to take some risks with the ball when they have it in the attacking half to get into the box and generate some real chances.
Second Half
Liverpool break forward with Marie Höbinger finding Ceri Holland in space on the right just inside the defensive half. Holland drives forward with the ball, carrying it deep into the London City half as Mia Enderby races forward through the center. The Liverpool players are outnumbered and Holland loses out after trying to play the ball past a defender to run into the box.
Liverpool have plenty of numbers back, but London City still manage to break through in a 2 v 5 situation. Luckily for the Reds, an attempted through ball is too close to Rafaela Borggräfe, allowing the goalkeeper to collect it.
CHAOS IN THE LIVERPOOL BOX. Rafaela Borggräfe with a really heavy touch in her own box gifts London City the ball in the box as the goalkeeper goes sprawling. Jenna Clark somehow is able to get back and fling a leg up to deflect the shot onto the far post. The ball rebounds back into the center of the box and she attempts to clear the ball while on the ground but cannot connect with the bouncing ball. A scrum of Liverpool and London City players descend on the ball with no one able to gain control before Emily Heaslip whistles for a foul to let the Reds off the hook.
Gareth Taylor makes his first change of the match in the 61st minute. Beata Olsson comes on for Mia Enderby in a like for like change as Liverpool search for some attacking thrust.
Rafaela Borggräfe with another really terrible bit of play in her own box, playing a ball directly to Grace Geyoro at the top of the box. She was attempting to play the ball to Fuka Nagano, but there was no chance of getting the ball into the midfielder there. Geyoro saw an initial shot blocked and Liverpool were just able to do enough to scramble the ball away.
London City with all the momentum now as Liverpool are struggling to keep their heads and the ball. It’s one way traffic with the hosts getting chance after chance now. Liverpool are struggling to get the ball out of their own half when they do get on it.
Liverpool have begun to play the ball long out of the back after playing themselves into trouble on multiple occasions. Feels like the Reds are just trying to see the game out for the last 10 minutes of regulation and added on time as they have lost the handle on the match.
There is a collision in the Liverpool box as Nikitha Parris gets a touch to the ball with a high boot ahead of Rafaela Borggräfe. Parris catches Borggräfe in the hip with the studs of her boot and goes down grabbing her knee. There was no contact from Borggräfe, but Emily Heaslip has gotten it all wrong and awarded a penalty just before the end of regulation. Absolute referee error, but there is no VAR to bail the Reds out. To add insult to injury, Heaslip has given Borggräfe a yellow card for the “foul”.
Goal London City. Elana Linari steps up and drills the spot kick off the underside of the crossbar and in. While the penalty awarded was an absolutely terrible call, London City deserve to be ahead on the balance.
Gareth Taylor with a last gasp attempt to find any sort of attacking play, throwing on Sophie Roman Haug for Cornelia Kapocs in the 90th minute. Kapocs has struggled today, turning the ball over at an alarming rate.
In the 96th minute of play, with 6 minutes of extra time shown, Liverpool attempt to build out of the back with some small passes before turning it over midway in their own half. That about sums up the second half.
That’s it, Liverpool are again defeated. The Reds had zero shots in the second half.
Final Thoughts
While the first half was fairly even, Liverpool completely fell apart in the second half. They continually played themselves into danger while trying to play out of the back, gifting chances to London City. Despite that, it took referee Emily Heaslip getting a call absolutely wrong to award a penalty to London City late in the match to break the deadlock and keep the Reds from stealing a point.
Liverpool have now lost their first four league matches for the first time in history. They have no identity in attack, scoring just one goal in the opening four matches. The only solace is that while Liverpool have been poor, West Ham have been even worse. The Reds will have a very tall order next weekend, facing second place Manchester City at Anfield.
