Penalties were the order of the day as Liverpool Women marked their return to the Women’s Super League in style to beat last season’s champions Chelsea.
Liverpool Women 2-1 Chelsea Women
Women’s Super League (1), Prenton ParkSeptember 18, 2022
Goals
Kirby 03′ (ballpoint pen)Stengel 67′ (ballpoint pen)Stengel 87′ (ballpoint pen)
Back in the top flight after winning the Championship last season, Matt Beard’s LFC Women walked out at Prenton Park in front of a record crowd for a women’s game at the stadium, with 3,006 in attendance.
Despite scoring three points, the night started in the worst possible way when the Reds conceded a penalty after 60 seconds.
Defender Gilly Flaherty went to clear the ball, however unbeknownst to her, Guro Reiten had appeared from behind and stepped between Flaherty and the ball and then fell to the ground when she felt contact.
Fran Kirby had no trouble converting the penalty, calmly rolling the ball to the left of Rachael Laws as the keeper dove the other way.
However, the initial setback did not dampen Liverpool’s spirits and soon after, Blues goalkeeper Zecira Musovic spilled into the box, but Melissa Lawley simply couldn’t contain her in her follow-up effort.
From then until half-time, Chelsea had all the ball but did not present much danger to Liverpool as Beard’s side maintained a tight form and kept Chelsea out of their defensive third for the most part.
Halftime: Liverpool 0-1 Chelsea
After the break, Liverpool was more confident.
Shortly after entering the 57th minute, Megan Campbell impacted by sending a long shot into the area that Flaherty touched on the outstretched arm of Chelsea’s Millie Bright. Penalty number two of the match.
Katie Stengel then opened her account for the season by similarly converting off Kirby’s spot shot in the first half.
Three of Chelsea’s summer signings were all brought in by Emma Hayes in a bid to salvage a winner for the team that has dominated the WSL in recent years, winning five of the last six titles.
But, in the end, the winning goal came from the home team thanks to another penalty, taken and taken by American striker Stengel, who intercepted a loose pass and, urged on by the roar of the crowd, entered the box before being brought down. by Buchanan.
The only negative of the day came when last year’s Player of the Season Leanne Kiernan was injured in the second half, unable to support her right leg following a sliding challenge from Kadeisha Buchanan.
However, Liverpool have a stronger squad than last season and are better placed to deal with injury.
Only the two Niamhs, Fahey and Charles were on the pitch for Liverpool when they last met in February 2020, when Chelsea narrowly defeated The Reds in the FA Cup fifth round.
One of them, Fahey is the captain of Liverpool. The other, Charles, who was born in the Wirral, lined up for the opposition having signed for the Londoners the summer after the cup match.
It’s a sign of how much has changed since relegation two years ago.
TIA Player of the Match: Katie Stengel
Attendance: 3,006
Liverpool: Laws, Koivisto (Roberts, 71), Flaherty, Fahey, Matthews, Hinds, Kearns (Furness, 71), Holland, Lawley (Daniels, 71), Kiernan (Campbell, 57), Stengel (Humphrey, 90+5) .
Unused Subs: Cumings, Kirby, Robe, Silcock.
Next game: Everton (home (Anfield)), Sunday 25 September, 18:45
