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Beth Lindop
The second half of the match encapsulated Liverpool’s struggles this season.
For a brief moment, it seemed as if Gareth Taylor’s team might pull off a surprising victory at Anfield against his former club, Manchester City. For an even longer stretch, Liverpool’s resilient defense appeared poised to secure at least a point to reignite their faltering season.
Yet, in a familiar twist, a late goal from Aoba Fujino doomed the Reds to a 2-1 loss, leaving them with no points after five matches in the Women’s Super League (WSL). This setback marks a club record seven consecutive losses in the league, with only West Ham United’s poorer goal difference preventing them from being bottom of the table.
In short, the club’s situation is dire.
Just two seasons ago, Liverpool seemed to be on the rise, eclipsing rivals Manchester United to secure a top-four spot in the WSL. Fast forward to today, and the Reds appear far from competing with Europe’s best.
The past months have proven challenging for the club, both on and off the field. The summer departure of club-record signing Olivia Smith to Arsenal severely weakened Liverpool’s attacking options, while the delay in Taylor’s appointment—announced only in August—left little time to reinvest Smith’s £1 million transfer fee into the squad.
The recent passing of former manager Matt Beard has also profoundly impacted those connected to the club, with nine of the 11 players who faced City having been signed during his term. Nonetheless, the results have been underwhelming, and Liverpool heads into the upcoming international break with many issues to address.
It was a tall order for Taylor—who faced City for the first time since his dismissal earlier this year—to secure a victory. Many of the team’s struggles were evident in the first half.
Liverpool goalkeeper Rafaela Borggräfe was kept occupied, making crucial saves against shots from Vivianne Miedema, Khadija “Bunny” Shaw, and Fujino, while the hosts struggled to create threats on offense. In fact, they went into halftime with an expected goals (xG) of 0.0, having taken no shots and registering just one touch inside the opposing box, compared to City’s 22. Furthermore, one of their key creative players, midfielder Marie Hobinger, had to exit the field due to a knee injury within the first half hour.
After the break, Taylor’s side significantly improved and took the lead when Cornelia Kapocs redirected Ceri Holland’s excellent cross past Ayaka Yamashita and into the City net. However, the lead lasted only 12 minutes before Borggrafe misplayed the ball into the path of Iman Beney, who converted to level the score.
From that point on, a City winner seemed inevitable, and it arrived in the 86th minute when Fujino calmly scored to extend Liverpool’s struggles at Anfield—they have managed only one win in their last eight WSL matches at home, a 3-1 triumph over Manchester United back in March.
A glimmer of hope emerged when defender Gemma Bonner thought she had netted an equalizer right at the end, but she was quickly flagged offside—painfully illustrating the fine margins at elite levels of play.
“At the moment, we’re not getting what we deserve and it’s tough,” Taylor remarked post-match. “But that’s okay. I think we’re close to figuring things out. It takes time. There’s been a lot of change, and we must continue to work hard. Things are difficult now because we’ve probably been a bit unlucky in some matches. As I said, we’ve made many changes. We’ve been tasked with bringing a new approach, and sometimes that takes a while.”
While defeats to title contenders like City won’t determine Liverpool’s season, it’s clear that the Reds urgently need a spark to ignite their campaign. With the club’s owners, Fenway Sports Group (FSG), having made significant investments in repurchasing Liverpool men’s former training ground, Melwood, back in 2022, the need for greater financial backing is evident—especially considering that the men’s team spent nearly £450 million in this summer’s transfer market after winning the Premier League.
Renewed investment is anticipated in the January transfer window. Until then, Liverpool must find a way out of their current struggles and climb the table. If not, it could be a long season ahead.