Liverpool:
Chelsea:
Pre-Match
Liverpool kick off their first match of the new year at home, taking on the London City Lionesses. The Reds are still in search of their first win of the season, and are desperate for points as they try to climb out of the WSL basement.
There are some reinforcements for Gareth Taylor as new signings Jennifer Falk and Alice Bergstrom are both available and in the starting lineup. Grace Fisk and Risa Shimizu both handed starting roles as well as they return from injury layoffs. Gemma Bonner has also recovered from injury and is on the bench. The injury list is still long, however, leaving Taylor with a bench featuring two academy players. Beata Olsson, Leanne Kiernan, and Hanna Silcock are the most recent names added to the list of hobbled Liverpool players. New signing Anna Josendal was not registered in time to feature in this match.
First Half
With no Beata Olsson, it looks like it will be Mia Enderby playing through the middle. She is flanked by Alice Bergstrom on the right, with Ceri Holland shifting over to the left side of the attack.
Ceri Holland steams forward with the ball down the left flank in the opening minutes of the match, carrying the ball into the box. She shifts the ball into a shooting position, but the gap of space is quickly closed and her shot is blocked.
Loose pass back to London City goalkeeper Elene Lete, and Mia Enderby tries to win a footrace to get to the ball first. Lete is quicker to the ball and clears the danger. Enderby is going to need to step up in the central striker role today.
Alice Bergstrom gets her first real chance on the ball and shows she has no fear taking players on. She dribbles inside through two defenders before playing a ball back wide to Cornelia Kapocs, but the midfielder immediately plays a loose pass and turns the ball over in the attacking third.
Bergstrom presses the ball high up the pitch, forcing an early pass that Ceri Holland intercepts. Holland is fouled, giving Liverpool a free kick in a central area about 30 yards from goal. They try a set piece play, sending it short to Kirsty Maclean, but her touch is loose and the Reds have to recycle the ball all the way back to Falk in goal.
Liverpool steam forward with the ball after a pass from Fuka Nagano releases Cornelia Kapocs. She carries the ball forward and slides the ball to her right for Alice Bergstrom as a defender hacks down Kapocs. The referee allows play to continue with Bergstrom with the ball in the box and the new signing tries to slide the ball across to the far post, but it is wide of the goal and there is no one there to tap it in.
It has been Liverpool with most of the ball in a dangerous area, but London City have had a few forays forward. They get the ball down the left wing in the 15th minute, but Grace Fisk is there to make an initial headed clearance. The ball comes back in and Ceri Holland gets kicked in the head as she goes to head the ball clear again and a free kick is given.
Falk has not had anything to do in net as of yet, but she has had several opportunities to show off her distribution. Falk has been very calm with the ball at her feet and has pinged passes around.
Alice Bergstrom picks up a pass high up the pitch and immediately looks to play a ball through for Mia Enderby in the box. Enderby is caught wrong footed as she did not anticipate a pass, and the ball rolls through to the goalkeeper. Great idea by Bergstrom.
Kirsty MacLean plays a nice flick to Ceri Holland outside of her, setting Holland free down the left wing. The Welsh attacker squares up her defender and cuts inside near the top of the box, but her ball to the back post is too strong for Alice Bergstrom and runs out of play.
Mia Enderby is felled at the top of the box in what looks like a clear foul. The referee stands still as a statue as all the players look to her expecting a whistle, and then the ball is hacked clear as she declines to make a call.
Some great interplay from Alice Bergstrom and Risa Shimizu on the right flank sees the two combine back and forth to eventually get Bergstrom a run into the box. She looks to play a ball across the face of goal, but it is blocked behind for a corner. The set piece is partially cleared and goes out for a Liverpool throw and the Reds have to recycle possession.
Mia Enderby attempts to settle a ball out of the air and turn past her defender, but the English striker loses the ball. She gives Wassa Sangaré a little shove in the box, causing a tussle to ensue. The referee stops play and shows Sangaré a yellow card for her reaction, awarding a free kick to the Reds in the attacking half. It’s been rare for Liverpool to get a lucky break, so we’ll take it.
A couple moments of discord from the Reds to close out the first half. Alice Bergstrom very much is wanting to play into the space down the right wing, making runs and asking for the ball for her to run onto. Cornelia Kapocs eschews playing the ball to her, but instead recycles possession. Moments later the roles are reversed with Bergstrom on the ball as she is looking to play the ball into space for Kapocs down the wing, but Kapocs instead holds her run and is looking for the ball to be played backwards to recycle possession. That, in a nutshell, is the Liverpool attack this season.
That’s the last real action of the first half and the sides head to the changing rooms to warm up and discuss tactics. It was a fairly positive first half from Liverpool, having more of the ball and more of the chances. Bergstrom and Holland have created problems for London City on the wings, but so far there has not been a presence in the box to really worry London City.
Second Half
No changes for either side to start the second half. It’s very slim picking for Gareth Taylor for attacking subs if Liverpool need a goal later in the match.
London City have come out much more aggressive with their press in the second half. It is causing a few problems for Liverpool, giving the visitors a bit more possession than the first half, especially higher up in the attacking end.
Just wide from Alice Bergstrom! Kirsty MacLean with a nice bit of work to carry the ball forward and then delivers a diagonal ball over the defense for Bergstrom. The Swede immediately gets her head up as she enters the box and lofts the ball over the goalkeeper, but the ball drifts just inches wide of the far post. That’s the closest Liverpool have come to scoring.
Liverpool with a spell of possession around the London City box, with several players seeming to have a chance to get the ball into the box or take a shot. Instead, in each of the instances, the ball was played sideways or backwards, with possession eventually going all the way back to Falk in goal. Hard to score if you don’t take a shot.
Gareth Taylor makes his first change of the match in the 62nd minute. It’s a like for like change as Lucy Parry comes on for Risa Shimizu at right back. Risa had a nice run out, combining well with Alice Bergstrom down the right wing.
Cornelia Kapocs makes a great turn under pressure in her defensive half and carries the ball forward with Elana Linari grabbing at her and pulling her back as Kapocs tries to break free. Kapocs eventually loses control of the ball and the referee halts play to award a free kick and show Linari a yellow card.
Liverpool again with good attacking play, starting with Ceri Holland down the left wing. The ball is played inside to Fuka Nagano, who then slides it across to Alice Bergstrom on the right wing. Bergstrom shifts the ball inside and enters the box before hitting a left-footed shot that is blocked out.
Grace Fisk with a couple of great headed clearances. She gets back to make a diving clearance of a cross, turning it behind for a corner kick. She then rises the highest after London City play a short corner and loft a cross into the box, again heading the ball away from danger and the Reds break forward.
The Mia Enderby Experience is in full effect. Liverpool break forward after Fisk clears the corner kick, and Enderby is released free into the right channel. She doesn’t have the speed to pull away from her header and tries to play a pass for Alice Bergstrom, but the pass is a poor one and runs out of play for a goal kick.
London City have made a raft of changes over the past 10 minutes as they bring on fresh legs to try and find a winner.
Liverpool break forward again as Cornelia Kapocs intercepts a pass and drives the ball forward before sliding it to Kirsty MacLean to her left. The Scottish midfielder quickly puts the ball into the path of the run of Ceri Holland, who advances into the box. Holland has a shooting chance from 12 yards out, but she blazes the ball over the crossbar. She really needed to test the goalkeeper there. Liverpool are still without a shot on target (as are London City).
Alice Bergstrom again shows her willingness to make things happen. She has the ball on the right wing and drives a dangerous cross into the box. It comes through to the far post where Ceri Holland had made a run, but a defender did just enough to get back and get between Holland and the ball.
As we approach the last five minutes of regulation, the match is being played all in the Liverpool defensive half. So far the Reds have done enough to clear their lines and deal with anything before a shot can be taken. We’ve seen too many late collapses this season not to be worried, however.
London City get just their second shot of the game, but it is blocked out by a defender. They keep control of the ball and send a cross into the box, but this time Jennifer Falk confidently comes out and punches the ball clear. It comes to Ceri Holland, who steams forward down the left wing before being clipped from behind to earn a free kick near the midfield stripe. Nothing comes of it.
Liverpool earn another free kick, this time a little ways into the London City half. The ball is lofted into the box with a crush of players going for it. The ball clearly goes off the head of a London City player, but the referee awards a foul for some innocuous contact.
That’s the last significant action of the match as the referee blows for full time just moments later with the score at 0-0.
Final Thoughts
That was an overall solid performance by Liverpool. The Reds were the consistently more threatening side as they created several good opportunities but could not capitalize. Alice Bergstrom and Ceri Holland created consistent threats down either flank, with the two creating and taking the best chances of the day. Not having a real presence in the middle of the attack definitely hurt Liverpool.
Defensively, Liverpool were very solid and only allowed two shots all match. Neither side were able to put a shot on target. In the end, Liverpool earn another point and their first clean sheet in the WSL this season. The Reds are now just a point behind West Ham at the foot of the table.
Liverpool will now take a break from WSL play as they face the London Bees next Sunday in the FA Women’s Cup. Anna Josendal should be available for her Liverpool appearance for that match before the club return to league play the following weekend against Spurs. Gareth Taylor is hoping to get a few more players this January, so there could be some additional signing announcements to look forward to as well.
