WSL clockwatch: Everton v Arsenal, Liverpool v Manchester United – live
Key events
Everton 1-2 Arsenal
74 min: It’s all Arsenal. Everton are chasing shadows, which is tiring work. So the home side make two changes: Melissa Lawley and Karoline Olesen replace Hayley Ladd and Toni Payne.
Liverpool 2-0 Manchester United
56 min: Penalty shout for Liverpool, as the home side remarkably push for a third goal! Smith, the undoubted player of the match thus far, tests Sandberg with a driving run and goes down in the box after checking back inside. But it’s actually good defending from the United substitute, who read Smith’s intentions and was too strong in muscling the Liverpool goalscorer off the ball.
Liverpool 2-0 Manchester United
53 min: Manchester United are forced into a change. The injured George comes off for Sandberg at left back.
Everton 1-2 Arsenal
67 min: Arsenal hit the woodwork twice in less than a minute! McCabe crosses to Catley, who crashes a header off the underside of the bar. Back come Arsenal, and Williamson releases Cooney-Cross, who smacks a shot across goal and off the inside of the post! Everton scramble it away. They have been unable to keep pace with Arsenal since that quadruple change.
Everton 1-2 Arsenal
64 min: Everton respond with two changes of their own: Karen Holmgaard and Clare Wheeler replace Vanhaevermaet and Snoeijs.
GOAL! Everton 1-2 Arsenal (Mjelde OG 62)
Foord makes an immediate impact off the bench! Is that the Australian’s first touch? Mead also plays her part, slipping a nice ball through to Fox, who was underlapping from right back and played a teasing cross to Foord at the back post. The winger bundled it home, perhaps with a deflection off Mjelde? It may actually go down as an own goal, off the Norwegian.
Everton 1-1 Arsenal
60 min: Arsenal make a quadruple change! Renée Slegers has obviously seen enough of this profligacy. Kelly, Little, Walti and Maanum are off for Mead, Blackstenius, Cooney-Cross and Foord. Wow!
Peeeeeeep! Liverpool 2-0 Manchester United is back underway
We’re back at Anfield.
Everton 1-1 Arsenal
58 min: Now Williamson skews over the bar! Arsenal win a corner, the ball squirms loose but the England captain leans back to send the ball over the bar and the nearby huddle of away Gunners fans who have made the trip north.
Everton 1-1 Arsenal
56 min: Arsenal twice go close! Caldentey fires wide after good work down the left from Little, and then Russo shoots just over the bar! Everton hanging on here a little, it feels like Arsenal have come out with a renewed sense of vigour.
Everton 1-1 Arsenal
53 min: Not only is this a good set of results for leaders Chelsea, but League Cup final opponents Manchester City as well. The latter are in fourth, one place behind the Champions League places (Arsenal in third).
Everton 1-1 Arsenal
50 min: So nearly an own goal to gift Arsenal the lead again! Kelly strikes at goal for the Gunners, but it takes a wicked nick off the head of Snoeijs and Brosnan readjusts brilliantly to tip the ball wide!
Peeeeeeep! Everton 1-1 Arsenal is back underway
The second half begins at Walton Hall Park.
Half-time: Liverpool 2-0 Manchester United
United had only conceded six goals in the WSL before tonight’s trip to Anfield! Now they have a mountain to climb in the second half.
GOAL! Liverpool 2-0 Manchester United (Nagano 45+2)
What on earth is going on?! Liverpool have turned into Prime Barcelona and hit United on a classic counter-attack! Smith turns on a sixpence in midfield and releases Kerr on the right wing. The 25-year-old streams down the flank, looks up and only has one teammate to aim for in the middle, with five United defenders in tow. But Nagano somehow finds a pocket of space, collects Kerr’s cross and curls a wonderful shot into the far corner from around the penalty spot!
Liverpool 1-0 Manchester United
44 min: Kapocs goes close to doubling Liverpool’s lead! Where has this been for the last 40 minutes? The winger cuts inside and smashes a long-range shot at goal. It’s a hefty strike, but quite centrally placed, and this time Tullis-Joyce is equal to it.
GOAL! Liverpool 1-0 Manchester United (Smith 42)
Out of nothing, Liverpool take the lead! It’s completely against the run of play, but barely anyone inside Anfield cares one jot! Smith did almost everything on her own, picking the ball up on the right wing, beating Clinton for pace and driving into the United box at the byline. From a narrow angle, Smith shoots low towards the far post and the shot squeezes underneath Tullis-Joyce. Should the United keeper have done better? Yes, probably. But it’s still a fine goal.
Liverpool 0-0 Manchester United
39 min: Laws saves again, this time from a powerful Clinton effort. The United playmaker turns beautifully away from Kerr on the edge of Liverpool’s box and unleashes a good old fashioned piledriver. The shot takes a deflection off Matthews, but Laws reads the flight of the ball and tips the ball over. Great save!
Liverpool 0-0 Manchester United
37 min: Chelsea fans will be reading this MBM/watching with glee, with both Manchester United and Arsenal currently drawing. United have been guilty in the last few minutes of trying to force the pass. Clinton, Riviere and Galton have all been guilty of playing the wrong ball.
Liverpool 0-0 Manchester United
35 min: Gabby George so nearly opens the scoring for United, nipping in at the near post to glance a header at goal. But Laws is alive and able to claw the ball out, right on the Liverpool goalline!
Half-time: Everton 1-1 Arsenal
The Gunners will be very frustrated by the scoreline. They simply can’t afford to drop any more points.
Everton 1-1 Arsenal
45 min: Two minutes added on for injury time at the end of the first half. Gago, who has blistering pace, threatens to get in behind the Arsenal defence before Catley shuts the door.
Liverpool 0-0 Manchester United
29 min: A stoppage as Liverpool keeper Laws gets some treatment. The camera pans to interim manager Amber Whiteley, who looks very relaxed on the sidelines, smiling with her forward Haug.
Liverpool 0-0 Manchester United
25 min: In the absence of Bonner, Liverpool’s Clark has done a really good job of keeping Terland quiet and snaps into a tackle nicely to dispossess the Norwegian. Liverpool haven’t threatened going forward but look defensively strong.
Everton 1-1 Arsenal
38 min: Everton have scarcely deserved that equaliser. But that’s football, folks.
GOAL! Everton 1-1 Arsenal (Toni Payne 36)
Everton are level! Gago does brilliantly to win the ball back deep in Arsenal’s half and drives to the byline on the left. She pulls the ball back to Snoeijs, whose shot is blocked. But Toni Payne is there to mop up the rebound, poking her close-range finish past Zinsberger!
Everton 0-1 Arsenal
34 min: Little wriggles free and tries a cross shot right across Everton’s six-yard box, but the ball misses both the far post and an Arsenal teammate and goes out for an Everton goal kick. A let off for the home side there.
Everton 0-1 Arsenal
32 min: The home side have really been on the back foot for the past few minutes but Toni Payne finally relieves the pressure with a foray down the right. The ball is recycled after a neat turn by Vanhaevermaet, who sends a useful cross into the Arsenal box, but Catley defends well.
Liverpool 0-0 Manchester United
16 min: Toone picks the ball up in a pocket of space in front of Liverpool’s defence and draws what should have been a blatant foul right on the edge of the box. But the referee inexplicably waves play on! Toone is mystified!
Liverpool 0-0 Manchester United
14 min: Huge save from Liverpool’s Laws to keep the scores level! Bizet strides forward and pings a lovely shot towards the far post. It’s definitely on target but Laws springs to her right to make a fingertip save and turn it behind for a corner!
Liverpool 0-0 Manchester United
12 min: Really nice touch from United in their dugout. They have paid tribute to Poppy Atkinson, who was a Manchester United fan, by draping a shirt (with her name on the back) over one of the seats behind manager Marc Skinner.
GOAL! Everton 0-1 Arsenal (Russo 24)
Russo scores her ninth WSL goal of the season to give the Gunners the lead! It’s been coming in truth, and Gago giving the ball away cheaply. Little got hold of the ball, crossed and Russo got a yard of space to turn the ball home!
Liverpool 0-0 Manchester United
7 min: Looks like Liverpool are playing with a back four, rather than a three. United look like they are targeting Bernabé at left-back, who is not a regular for Liverpool.
Everton 0-0 Arsenal
20 min: Chloe Kelly, who made her name at Everton of course, has a real chance for Arsenal, as the ball falls kindly at the edge of the area. But the England international swings wildly and the finish is skewed.
Liverpool 0-0 Manchester United
4 min: Interesting tonight that Hinds is playing on the right tonight, with Smith on the left for Liverpool. Hinds is the stand-in captain tonight, with Bonner out with injury. That’s a big miss for Liverpool, at the heart of their defence.
Liverpool 0-0 Manchester United
2 min: Bizet latches onto a nice pass from Le Tissier to get to the byline but the cross from the Manchester United’s right winger is poor.
Peeeeeep! Liverpool v Manchester United is underway!
Our second game of the evening kicks off on Merseyside. There is also a minute’s silence for Poppy Atkinson.
Everton 0-0 Arsenal
14 min: Everton keeper Brosnan is down with some sort of injury. There have been plenty of new signings at the club which has sparked the best home run for 11 years, but the keeper has been as important as anyone. It looks like she’s going to be OK to continue.
Everton 0-0 Arsenal
11 min: The Toffees are attempting to play out from the back, but are struggling with Arsenal’s high press.
Everton 0-0 Arsenal
7 min: Hayashi strikes at goal fiercely for Everton, the first real attempt of the match! Zinsberger is down to her right and palms it behind!
Everton 0-0 Arsenal
4 min: Toni Payne breaks forward dangerously for Everton. The Nigeria international has great pace and offloads to Ladd, but the latter’s cross is well defended by Fox at the back post.
Everton 0-0 Arsenal
2 min: Arsenal settle into their normal possession-based game quickly, with Walti crossing dangerously from the right. Brosnan collects neatly in the Everton goal under pressure from Russo.
Peeeeeeeep! Everton v Arsenal is underway!
Here we go.
Everton and Arsenal’s teams are out on the pitch, and there will be a minute’s silence for Poppy Atkinson, a keen footballing 10-year-old who tragically died in a car collision at a sports pitch in Kendal, Cumbria.
Pleased to say that Hinds retains her place in the Liverpool XI at left wing-back after last weekend’s awfulness.
Of course, it’s the Women’s League Cup final tomorrow between Chelsea and Manchester City. Here are two preview pieces for you to read before the showpiece at Pride Park.
Here’s what Arsenal head coach Renée Slegers had to say before the trip to Everton:
They are a challenging team. They’re one of the most unpredictable tactically. So we’ll have to be prepared. It was 0-0 at home. I think we did a lot of things quite well in that game. We just didn’t score. They’ve recruited new players. I think they’re strong at the moment. They’re strong at their home ground. So we know it’s a big challenge. But obviously we also believe in what we’re doing.
After missing last weekend’s FA Cup game, Terland is fit to return to United’s XI. This isn’t a revolutionary point, given she’s the reigning WSL player of the month, but I love what the Norwegian brings to this United team. I have a little bet with my pals for her to finish second in the WSL scoring standings (behind Bunny Shaw). She’s currently on seven goals from 13 games. Only Shaw (12 goals), Russo (eight) and Beth England (eight) are above Terland.
Liverpool v Manchester United team news
Liverpool: Laws, Matthews, Clark, Bernabe, Smith, Kerr, Nagano, Hobinger, Hinds, Haug, Kapocs.
Subs: Micah, Parry, Evans, Fahey, Enderby, Bartel, Daniels, Shaw.
Man Utd women: Tullis-Joyce, Riviere, Le Tissier, Turner, George, Clinton, Janssen, Ildhusoy, Toone, Galton, Terland.
Subs: Middleton-Patel, Mannion, Sandberg, Naalsund, Miyazawa, Malard, Williams.
You might notice that both games are on Merseyside tonight. Everton v Arsenal is at Walton Hall Park but Liverpool v Manchester United is at Anfield! This is the first time Liverpool’s women’s side has played an evening game at Anfield, so it’s going to be quite the event. I’m told nearly 10,000 tickets have been sold. So plenty of motivation for Liverpool, even if their league season has fizzled out a little. Stranded in mid-table, both Liverpool and Everton are safe from relegation (yes, that is still a thing until 2026-27 at least) and adrift of European qualification.
Everton v Arsenal team news
Everton Women: Brosnan, Mjelde, Fernandez, Stenevik, Sara Holmgaard, Vanhaevermaet, Snoeijs, Ladd, Hayashi, Toni Payne, Gago.
Subs: Ramsey, Wheeler, Lawley, Hope, Watson, Heather Payne, Sarri, Karen Holmgaard, Olesen.
Arsenal Women: Zinsberger, Fox, Williamson, Catley, McCabe, Maanum, Little, Caldentey, Kelly, Walti, Russo.
Subs: Williams, Ilestedt, Nighswonger, Cooney-Cross, Pelova, Foord, Mead, Hurtig, Blackstenius.
Preamble
A popular golf phrase is that ‘you can’t win a tournament on the first day, but you can certainly lose it’. This is certainly relevant for tonight’s WSL fixtures. Second-placed Manchester United and third-placed Arsenal certainly cannot win the WSL title with wins tonight but if they drop points against Liverpool and Everton respectively, then surely their title chances are done and dusted (if they aren’t already).
It’s not that the gap to Chelsea is gargantuan. But, should United or Arsenal limp to a draw or defeat tonight (against Liverpool and Everton respectively), leaders Chelsea have been too good this season to suggest that they are going to drop at least seven points from their final six games. The Blues remain invincible. They have plenty of motivation to remain unbeaten, have a far superior goal difference to their rivals (effectively good for another point) and a stacked squad, which was heavily bolstered in January and which is about to get even stronger.
Still, if United win tonight, the gap is just five points. United are on a seven-game winning streak in the WSL, stretching back to early December (a run that started with a 4-0 win over Liverpool). Arsenal are on a similar league run, save for a crucial 1-0 defeat to Chelsea back in January. Both red teams are still in excellent form. The WSL title race is not over until the fat man sings.
Join me for this epic double-header, hindered only by the fact that the two kick-offs are at slightly different times. Thanks, schedulers!
Everton v Arsenal, 7pm (all times GMT).
Liverpool v Manchester United, 7.15pm.
