Liverpool beat their local rivals Everton at Anfield in a Women’s Super League fixture for the first time as Beata Olsson’s early header and Cornelia Kapocs’s late finish were enough to end their long run of derby pain.
After six wins from six visits to Anfield for Everton in the WSL era and even quips from their former manager Brian Sørensen in previous campaigns about making Anfield their “training pitch” during their persistent run of victories in this showpiece fixture, Liverpool could, at last, enjoy the bragging rights as their fans celebrated in the Kop after a thoroughly deserved 2-0 victory.
The hosts were undeniably the better side and should have scored more goals. Indeed, they would have done had it not been for the heroics of the Everton midfielder Ruby Mace.
When Olsson got in front of her marker, Hannah Blundell, to meet Natalia Ramos’s right-sided corner and angle her header perfectly, diagonally across goal and into the far corner inside the first four minutes, she had scored with such simplicity that you could have been forgiven for thinking Liverpool were set for an easy afternoon. Instead, what followed was something of a slog at times with Liverpool trying to break down an Everton backline that initially proved difficult to open up.
After the break, another set piece almost did the job for Liverpool but Vivien Endemann’s volley smacked against the crossbar. By now the pressure was almost relentless and, with just over 20 minutes remaining, Ramos looked certain to score, with time to set herself to shoot fewer than 10 yards out. But the effort was blocked by Mace, who threw her body in front of the ball to keep her side in the contest.
Five minutes later, Mace once again came to Everton’s rescue and she hooked clear Kapocs’s effort off the line. The Liverpool forward’s attempted header had come off the top of her shoulder and bounced goalwards, but Mace intervened just in time.
Eventually, Kapocs found room inside the area to turn and fire home in the closing stages, much to the relief of Liverpool’s supporters. The result continued the side’s encouraging start to the campaign as they moved on to seven points from their opening four games, with their only defeat having come away against the defending champions, Manchester City.
It took Gareth Taylor’s side until 25 January to accumulate seven points last season, but in this campaign they look significantly improved and have built on the progress they made during the second half of 2025-26.
The visitors had spurned a couple of decent chances on the counterattack before the break, including Hannah Cain scuffing over from a promising position. Overall, however, Everton, whose only two league goals scored this season have been own goals, will be concerned about their comparative lack of creativity so far and disappointed that they can no longer rely on their annual collection of three points from Anfield.
