-
Beth Lindop
The latter portion encapsulated Liverpool’s performance arc this year.
There was a moment when it appeared that Gareth Taylor’s squad might achieve an unlikely victory at Anfield against Manchester City, a team previously managed by the current Liverpool manager. For a significant duration, Liverpool’s determined defense suggested they might secure a valuable point, potentially jumpstarting their inconsistent season.
Nevertheless, the familiar pattern persisted for the Reds, as a concluding goal from Aoba Fujino led to a 2-1 loss, leaving them without any points in the Women’s Super League (WSL) after five matches this season. Extending back to the prior season, Liverpool has now endured a club-record sequence of seven consecutive defeats in the competition, with only West Ham United’s poorer goal differential preventing them from occupying the bottom position in the standings.
Essentially, the club’s present circumstances are challenging.
Just a couple of seasons prior, Liverpool displayed the potential to become a rising force, overtaking rivals Manchester United to secure a spot in the WSL’s top four. Presently, the Reds seem far from being competitive with Europe’s leading teams.
The club has faced difficulties over the past few months, both on and off the field. The summer departure of Olivia Smith, a significant club signing, to Arsenal severely affected Liverpool’s attacking capabilities. Furthermore, the protracted process of Taylor’s appointment, with the official announcement occurring in August, provided limited time to effectively reinvest the £1 million transfer fee received for Smith into strengthening the squad.
The recent passing of former manager Matt Beard has also deeply impacted many individuals associated with the club. Nine of the eleven players who started against City were initially signed during his tenure. Despite these emotional factors, the team’s performance has not been satisfactory, and Liverpool enters the upcoming international break needing to address several issues.
It was always going to be a significant challenge for Taylor to secure a victory, especially considering he was facing City for the first time since his dismissal earlier in the year. In the first half, several of his team’s weaknesses were evident.
Liverpool’s goalkeeper, Rafaela Borggräfe, was consistently tested, making crucial saves against shots from Vivianne Miedema, Khadija “Bunny” Shaw, and Fujino. On the offensive end, the home team struggled to create threats against their opponents. In fact, Liverpool’s attacking efforts were so limited that they finished the first half with an expected goals (xG) value of 0.0, having not recorded a single shot and only one touch inside City’s penalty area, compared to 22 for City. The team also had to substitute midfielder Marie Hobinger, one of their most creative players, due to an apparent knee injury within the first 30 minutes.
Taylor’s team showed considerable improvement after halftime and took the lead when Cornelia Kapocs redirected Ceri Holland’s precise cross past Ayaka Yamashita and into the back of the City net. However, Liverpool’s lead lasted only 12 minutes before Borggräfe parried the ball into the path of Iman Beney, who skillfully scored to equalize for the visitors.
From that point onward, a City victory seemed increasingly likely, and it materialized in the 86th minute when Fujino calmly scored, continuing Liverpool’s unfavorable record at Anfield. The team has only secured one victory in their eight WSL matches at the stadium, a 3-1 win against Manchester United in March.
In the final moments of the match, there was a brief glimmer of hope when defender Gemma Bonner believed she had secured an equalizing goal in front of the Kop. However, the assistant referee immediately signaled an offside, underscoring the marginal differences at the highest competitive levels.
“At the moment, we are not achieving what we merit, which is difficult,” Taylor noted post-match. “However, I believe we are progressing, nearing the desired outcome. This process needs time. Significant changes have been made, and we must continue to work diligently. Currently, the situation is challenging as we feel we have been slightly unfortunate in some games. We have implemented significant adjustments, introducing a new methodology, which inherently demands time.”
Undoubtedly, losses to title-contending teams like City will not define Liverpool’s entire season, but it is apparent that the Reds desperately need a catalyst to rejuvenate their campaign. Given that the club’s owners, Fenway Sports Group (FSG), have invested significantly to reacquire Liverpool men’s former training facility, Melwood, back in 2022, the necessity for enhanced financial support is clear, particularly when considering that the men’s team spent close to £450 million in the transfer market this summer after winning the Premier League.
Additional investments are anticipated during the January transfer window. Until then, Liverpool must identify methods to overcome their current struggles and commence their ascent up the league table. Failure to do so could result in a particularly difficult season.
