Liverpool Women state of play ahead of big week with Man United on the schedule
By Luke Birch
The Reds will be looking to get their first win of the season proper at West Ham United on Sunday.
Only a week into the season, Liverpool already face a busy schedule, battling two Women’s Super League heavyweights in the space of a week.
Liverpool’s upcoming week
The Reds’ trip to Dagenham to face West Ham on Sunday will provide a huge opportunity for three points against the team that finished second-from-bottom last season.
The Irons lost 3-0 at Manchester United in their opening-day fixture after winning only three league games last season.
Liverpool manager Matt Beard will return to his former club West Ham, whom he has been unbeaten against since his departure, in the 170th WSL game of his career.
The Reds too are unbeaten since losing 4-1 to Manchester City at the end of March.
Last time out against West Ham, Liverpool defeated them 3-1 at Prenton Park, thanks to goals from Leanne Kiernan, Missy Bo Kearns, and Sophie Roman Haug.
Liverpool will then travel to Manchester United in the group stage of the Women’s League Cup (formerly the Continental Cup), on Wednesday.
This will be the first major test of the new season against a Red Devils team that finished fifth in the WSL last season.
The Reds then travel to Tottenham Hotspur in the WSL on Sunday 6th October.
What happened last weekend
Liverpool drew with Leicester City, last season’s strugglers, in their inaugural competitive game at Saint Helens Stadium last weekend.
Sophie Roman Haug opened the scoring for Liverpool, guiding a header into the bottom corner from a Marie Höbinger corner.
A long cross-field ball evaded the outstretched leg of Taylor Hinds as Jutta Rantala stroked home the equaliser.
Liverpool did show a lot of promise in the game even with a few new players, particularly in attacking positions, who are yet to fully bed-in.
The game saw competitive debuts for Canadian forward Olivia Smith, Gemma Evans, and Cornelia Kapocs.
Liverpool failed to exploit the gulf in quality in the second half, as they allowed the physical Foxes to impose their will onto the game.
There is still time for Matt Beard to figure out a system, especially how best to combine his new attacking talent.
Liverpool should feel some disappointment though, for a team that finished fourth last season, Leicester City at home should be a banker.
West Ham, now has to be.
You can catch Liverpool Women’s game against West Ham United on Sunday at 3pm, on WSL YouTube.
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