The first matchday of the Women's Super League season serves up a Merseyside derby, with Liverpool Women set to play host to Everton Women on Sunday.
Liverpool finished the 2024-25 campaign in seventh position with 25 points to their name, while Everton were just one point behind in eighth place.
Match preview
After finishing in fourth spot in 2023-24, Liverpool were unable to match that placing in the 2024-25 campaign, settling for seventh place after winning seven, drawing four and losing 11 of their 22 league matches.
Liverpool ended last season under the guidance of interim boss Amber Whiteley, who has now handed over the reins to former Manchester City head coach Gareth Taylor.
The 52-year-old will have a point to prove in his second job as WSL manager after being sacked just days before March's League Cup final.
Liverpool have seen two key players depart in Taylor Hinds and Olivia Smith, but they have attempted to negate those departures with a whole host of new arrivals.
Alejandra Bernabe and Sam Kerr have converted their loan move into permanent deals, while they have also recruited Rafaela Borggrafe, Risa Shimizu, Emilia Szymczak, Lily Woodham, Kirsty Maclean and Beate Olsson.
Liverpool's new additions will try to help their new club claim their first WSL over Everton since collecting a 3-1 home win in May 2019.
Everton Women's Yuka Momiki on August 30, 2025
Everton had to settle for an eighth-place finish last term after winning six, drawing six and losing 10 of their 22 league matches.
Brian Sorensen will be looking for his team to push on in his fourth full season in charge of the Toffees, and there will be plenty of excitement to play regularly at Goodison Park this season following the men's team's move to the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Everton has seen plenty of players depart ahead of the new season, including Heather Payne, Justine Vanhaevermaet, Sara Holmgaard and Karoline Olesen.
While a whole host of players have left the club, Everton have also made a number of new additions to Sorensen's squad, recruiting Ruby Mace, Maz Pacheco, Hikaru Kitagawa, Rion Ishikawa and Ornella Vignola.
Katie Robinson has also arrived on loan from Aston Villa, while Martina Fernandez has converted her loan move from Barcelona into a permanent transfer.
Everton will be hoping their new additions can help them enjoy more success in the derby after winning both league encounters against Liverpool last season, picking up a narrow win in November's home fixture, before claiming a 2-0 away victory in May.
Team News
Everton Women's Ornella Vignola on August 30, 2025
Liverpool are unable to call upon long-term absentee Zara Shaw, while Bernabe is still working her way back from injury.
Taylor has revealed that they will have to assess whether Shimizu is fit to feature in the matchday squad following her recent move from Man City.
Like Bernabe and Shimizu, Olsson and Szymczak also joined on deadline day, and it remains to be seen whether all the necessary paperwork was completed in time for them to feature on Sunday.
As for the visitors, Kitagawa is making progress in her recovery from a hamstring injury, but the summer addition is not expected to be ready for Sunday's fixture.
Sorensen has revealed that defender Elise Stenevik is facing a battle to shake off a foot problem in time for the Merseyside derby.
The Everton boss also confirmed that Mace will feature in the matchday squad following her recent transfer from fellow WSL side Leicester City.
Liverpool Women possible starting lineup:
Borgraffe; Fisk, Bonner, Evans, Woodham; Kerr, Maclean, Holland; Hobinger, Kapocs, Enderby
Everton Women possible starting lineup:
Brosnan; Robinson, Ishikawa, Fernandez, Pacheco; Hayashi, Wheeler, Van Gool; Vignola, Momiki, Snoeijs
SM words green background
We say: Liverpool Women 0-1 Everton Women
The two rivals will be desperate to start the season by picking all three points, but considering Everton have won each of their last four away league matches against Liverpool, we think they will draw confidence from that record to enjoy more away success in Sunday's derby.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
ID:580927:1false2false3false: from db desktop :LenBod:collect7749:No Data Analysis info
Previews by email
Click here to get Sports Mole's daily email of previews and predictions for every major game!