Everton vs Liverpool – News and Probable Lineups

Bragging rights will be at stake when Everton Women take on Liverpool Women in Saturday’s Women’s Super League matchup at Goodison Park.

The Toffees enter the weekend sitting sixth in the Women’s Super League standings, while the Reds find themselves in 10th place, six points behind.

Match overview

Currently, Everton is without a permanent head coach following the dismissal of Brian Sorensen at the beginning of February.

Sorensen was relieved of his duties shortly after executing a 2-1 victory against Aston Villa, but the club believed a shift in strategy was necessary after only achieving three wins from 14 league matches.

Interim manager Scott Phelan has since guided the team to three victories in five matches, starting with consecutive 1-0 wins over London City Lionesses and West Ham United.

Phelan then faced his first loss in last month’s Merseyside derby against Liverpool in the FA Cup, before his squad bounced back with a 2-1 victory on the road against Tottenham Hotspur.

Inma Gabarro appeared to have secured a draw for Everton with a 90th-minute equalizer in last Saturday’s clash against Manchester United, only for Melvine Malard to net a winner in the 94th minute, marking Everton’s first WSL defeat since January.

The Toffees will be eager to get back to winning ways in Saturday’s derby, especially with the chance to achieve a league double over Liverpool for a second consecutive season after a 4-1 triumph in their earlier fixture this September.

After failing to secure a win in their first 12 league matches, Liverpool, who made significant additions to their squad in January, have managed to pull five points clear of the relegation playoff position with three victories in their last six league outings.

In fact, the Reds are currently on a three-match unbeaten streak across all competitions since their loss to Chelsea last month, beginning with a narrow 2-1 FA Cup win over Everton to secure a quarter-final encounter against Charlton Athletic.

Gareth Taylor’s squad then achieved an important 2-0 win over bottom-placed Leicester City, followed by another clean sheet in a goalless draw with Brighton & Hove Albion last Sunday.

While Liverpool gained a valuable point over the weekend, they remain one of two teams yet to secure an away league victory this season (D2, L7).

Additionally, they have not found the net in five of their WSL away fixtures, including three of their last five outings in the top flight.

The Reds need to rediscover their scoring ability if they hope to defeat Everton in the WSL for the first time since a 3-1 home win back in May 2019.

Team News

Everton will likely miss Megan Finnigan, Karen Holmgaard, Katja Snoeijs, and Rion Ishikawa due to injuries.

Manchester United loanee Hannah Blundell is expected to return to the squad after being ineligible to play against her parent club last weekend.

Australian midfielder Clare Wheeler and the Japanese pair Hikaru Kitagawa and Honoka Hayashi should be available for selection after their return from the 2026 Asia Cup.

Liverpool defender Lucy Parry is anticipated to miss a second consecutive match due to the injury sustained against Leicester earlier this month.

The Reds are still unable to call upon Sofie Lundgaard, Marie Hobinger, Sophie Roman Haug, Sam Kerr, and Zara Shaw.

Defender Risa Shimizu and midfielder Fuka Nagano will rejoin the squad after their return from the Asia Cup in Australia, where they played a key role in Japan’s tournament victory.

Everton Women probable starting XI:

Brosnan; Blundell, Mace, Fernandez, Kitagawa; Wheeler, Hayashi; Momiki, Van Gool, Vignola; Gabarro

Liverpool Women probable starting XI:

Falk; Shimizu, Clark, Fisk, Barnabas; O’Sullivan, Nagano, Kapocs; Enderby, Holland, Olsson

Although Liverpool has displayed improvement in recent months, their poor track record in WSL derby matches and struggles away from home lead us to believe they might fall short against an Everton team that has claimed victory in four of their last five outings.