Beata Olsson insists "no one is a given" at Liverpool after scoring in a historic 2-0 Merseyside Derby win over Everton at Anfield.
For five long seasons, Women’s Super League derbies at Anfield felt like a recurring nightmare for Liverpool Women. Five Everton visits, five defeats, and a solitary goal to show for it, a dismal record to say the least as it had become a persistent psychological barrier
On Sunday afternoon, Gareth Taylor’s side tore up that tired script.
A commanding 2-0 victory over the Blues delivered Liverpool’s first-ever WSL derby win at Anfield, sealing a landmark moment that was as much about statement-making authority as it was about local bragging rights.
Early breakthrough sets the tone
The Reds wasted no time in banishing the ghosts of derbies past. Less than four minutes were on the clock when Natalia Ramos floated a dangerous corner into the penalty area. Beata Olsson reacted fastest, stealing a march on her marker to glance a precise diagonal header past Courtney Brosnan into the far corner.
It was an opening of supreme efficiency. Yet rather than cracking open the floodgates, the goal triggered a physical battle. Everton retreated into a low block, forcing Liverpool to demonstrate patience and tactical maturity to break down a resilient blue wall.
The intensity spiked after the interval. Vivien Endemann rattled the crossbar with a thunderous volley, before Everton defender Ruby Mace produced two heroic goal-line blocks, first denying Ramos from close range and then hooking a deflected Olsson header off the line.
Reward for relentless pressure
Liverpool’s relentless wave of attacks ultimately proved impossible to resist. With little over four minutes remaining, Cornelia Kapocs gathered the ball inside a crowded penalty area, swivelled sharply on her marker, and drilled a low finish into the net to spark jubilation across the Kop.
The victory caps a remarkable start to the 2026/27 campaign. Sitting on seven points from their opening four matches, their only blip coming against champions Manchester City. Liverpool are lightyears ahead of where they stood last term, when hitting the seven-point mark dragged on until late January.
Speaking after the final whistle, match-winner Olsson reflected on the physical nature of the contest and the feeling of putting the Anfield hoodoo behind them.
"It was very much a derby!" Olsson said. "They fought, we fought. [There were] a lot of set pieces. But it’s a really nice feeling and it was a great game."
"Fighting for more" – Culture shift fueling European ambitions
For Olsson, Liverpool's sharp ascent isn't down to luck. It is the product of an uncompromising environment fostered at the AXA Melwood Training Centre, where rotation and competition have driven standards through the roof.
"Now, coming into this, we have a clean slate, which we are really taking care of and using and cherishing," Olsson revealed. "It’s a joy coming to the training ground knowing that no one is a given and everyone has to fight for their spot. It’s very competitive, which just triggers everyone."
Olsson points to a tactical evolution that took root earlier in 2026 as the foundation for their current momentum.
"It started in the spring," Olsson explained. "We got some new players and we came past some adversity, but we obviously didn’t give ourselves a chance. We had that last year as well but maybe not in the same way with how far we can go.
"We know we’re meant to be in this league but now we’re fighting for more. I hope we can go really far. I think we have that in us and I know that a lot that has to do with that is just belief, which I think all of the players have."
The narrative surrounding Liverpool Women has officially shifted. The derby hoodoo is gone, the culture at Melwood is thriving, and with belief surging through the group, Taylor’s side are rapidly turning potential into genuine WSL ambition.
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