Just under three years have passed since Liverpool last played Everton in a women’s Merseyside derby at Anfield.
In that time, a lot has certainly happened in the game. Liverpool have been down to the Championship and returned to the WSL as champions, Everton are now on their third permanent manager and England have been crowned European champions.
But for Rhiannon Roberts, the 'bitter' memories of that day back in November 2019 still linger in her mind. A 1-0 defeat left Liverpool still searching for their first win of the season at the time.
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Lucy Graham's long-range strike was the only goal of the game after her effort rolled into the bottom corner of the net on the stroke of half-time. Anke Preuss in the Liverpool goal certainly didn't cover herself in glory that afternoon.
There was huge anticipation before kick-off, with a number of fans attending Anfield for the first time, many of them choosing to sit in the Kop. Liverpool made their way onto the pitch to 'You'll Never Walk Alone' as Reds supporters looked to roar their side to victory.
Despite the Reds producing a determined performance worthy of their grand stage, they were unable to take one of the many chances they created. And although Roberts admits it was 'amazing' to be part of, the fact her side came out on the losing side left a 'bitter' taste that still lingers to this day.
“I played here in 2019 against Everton and minus the result it was just an amazing occasion. The fans came out in their thousands,” she recalls to the ECHO. “It was a really good occasion then and hopefully it will be the same this time.
“[But I am still] a little bit bitter from that game, I’m not going to lie. But yeah, we will make amends. We have just got to put in the best performance we can.
“Hopefully, our quality will shine through and take care of itself on the day. We want to get something from this game and stamp our mark on the WSL as much as we can.
“Everything will be left on the pitch. At the end of the day, and as long as we stick to our game plan, then I think we will be okay.”
The mood around the Liverpool camp now is a far cry from what it was back when the sides last met at Anfield. The Reds marked their return to the WSL with a 2-1 victory over champions Chelsea at Prenton Park last weekend.
Back in 2019, Liverpool were in the middle of an horrific run of form that would eventually lead to their relegation from the top-flight. Although it is worth pointing out that as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, and the cancellation of matches that followed, the Reds weren’t afforded the opportunity to play their way to safety as the final standings for the 2019/20 campaign were decided on a points-per-game basis.
But Roberts believes two seasons in the second tier has enabled the Reds to create a winning mentality - and that Sunday’s 'statement' win over Emma Hayes’ side was a good way for the Reds to stamp their mark on the WSL.
“If a Merseyside derby at Anfield isn’t fuel then I don’t know what is. The girls are ready and buzzing and can’t wait to get on the pitch,” she said.
“It is kind of a reward, but I think we deserve to play here. We deserve to play at Anfield at least once a season. Even though we were in the Championship last season, we were a Super League team. That really helped us and it will help us this year as well.
“We did want to put a statement out there [against Chelsea] and I think we have always had that belief in our changing room. The players and staff believed we could go out there and get a result.
“It was good to stamp our mark on the league. Hopefully we will take that momentum into the game at the weekend.
“We have got the squad to do it, we have got the players to do it and we have got the depth in the squad to do it. I think people might have underestimated us.
“We have had a season of winning last year in the Championship, and we have had a season of building blocks and we have been able to take that into this season.
“We know it is going to be slightly different in the Super League and we know it is going to be more tense, but we have definitely risen to that occasion.”
A crowd of 23,500 watched the last meeting between the two sides at Anfield and Liverpool are hoping to get an even bigger gate this time round. And Roberts has a message for those possibly attending their first ever WSL game on Sunday evening..
“They can expect a really good environment. Last time round, every time you went over the halfway line they would roar you on. It was unbelievable to try and get us over the line," she replies to the ECHO when asked what fans can expect.
“It is an incredible place to come and I mean when I come and watch the men play it is just unreal and I have never been to a stadium like it.
“So hopefully they will see some goals from our side and some good quality football. The Euros has been a great platform for the women’s game and hopefully that will continue.”
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