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beth lindop
It was the second half that summed up Liverpool’s season.
For a moment, it looked as if Gareth Taylor’s team were headed for Anfield’s most unexpected victory against the manager’s former club. Manchester CityFor an even longer period, it looked as if Liverpool’s defensive doggedness might earn them a valuable point to start their stuttering season.
Ultimately, though, it was the same old story of a late attack for the Reds Aoba Fujino handed them over to a 2-1 The defeat left them without a point in five matches in the Women’s Super League (WSL) this season. Expanding on the previous season, liverpool They have now lost a club-record seven consecutive games in the competition, leaving them bottom of the table only due to West Ham United’s low goal difference.
In other words, the current situation of the club is disappointing.
Just two seasons ago Liverpool were looking like a rising force, sweeping away rivals Manchester United To claim a spot in the WSL’s top four. Fast forward to the present day, the Reds look a million miles away from being able to compete with Europe’s elite.
The last few months have been very difficult for the club, on and off the field. Club-record signing departure olivia smith To armory Liverpool’s attack weakened significantly over the summer, while the delayed nature of Taylor’s appointment – he was officially announced as head coach in August – left him little time to adequately reinvest Smith’s £1 million transfer fee into the team.
The death of former manager Matt Beard last month has also had a profound impact on many associated with the club, with nine of the 11 players who started against City having been signed during his tenure. Still, the results have not been good enough, and Liverpool are going into next week’s international break with a number of problems to solve.
Of course, getting a win was always going to be a big challenge for Taylor, facing City for the first time since being sacked earlier this year. Many problems of his team came to light in the first half.
liverpool goalkeeper rafaela borggraf were kept busy, leading to significant savings on shots Vivian MiedemaKhadija “Bunny” Shaw and Fujino, while offensively the hosts struggled to pose a threat to their visitors. In fact, Liverpool struggled so much in attack that they went into halftime with an expected goals (xG) value of 0.0, with zero shots and just one touch inside the opposition box, compared to 22 for City. He also saw the midfielder unleash one of his most creative strengths Mary HobingerHad to leave the field within the first 30 minutes due to a knee injury.
Taylor’s team improved dramatically after the break and took the lead Cornelia Kapox Seri Holland’s excellent cross-pass deflected off Ayaka Yamashita And behind the city net. However, Liverpool only held the lead for 12 minutes before Borggraf put the ball in the way. iman bennywho finished with confidence to draw the visitors level.
From that moment on, it felt as if City’s winner was inevitable, and it came in the 86th minute when Fujino headed home to continue Liverpool’s poor Anfield record – they have won only one of their eight WSL matches at the stadium, a 3–1 victory over Manchester United in March.
There was a brief moment of hope when the defender died Gemma Bonner I thought he had snatched the equalizer in front of the Kop. However, he was promptly shown the door – a painful reminder of just how fine the margins are at the elite level.
“Right now, we’re not getting what we deserve and that’s tough,” Taylor said after the game. “But that’s OK. I think it’s close to working, it’s close to coming. It takes time. There have been a lot of changes and we have to keep working. Things are obviously tough at the moment because we’ve probably felt a little rough in some games. Like I said, we’ve changed a lot of things. We’ve been asked to come in and bring a new approach and sometimes that takes time.”
Of course, defeat against title-chasing City won’t define Liverpool’s season, but it’s clear the Reds are in desperate need of a spark to ignite their campaign. With club owners Fenway Sports Group (FSG) having invested heavily to repurchase Liverpool Men’s former training ground, Melwood, in 2022, the need for more financial support is clear – especially given that the men’s team spent almost £450 million in the transfer market this summer after winning the Premier League title. Premier League,
Renewed investment is expected in the January window. Until then, Liverpool need to find a way out of their current position and move up the table. If not, it could be a very long season.
