Everton Women vs Leicester City: FA WSL Match Preview

Everton Women will be keen to build on Sunday’s Merseyside Derby triumph as they welcome Leicester City to Walton Hall Park on Thursday evening.

The rearranged fixture is the Blues’ first WSL home game of the season, following a defeat to West Ham in the season opener and a successful trip to Anfield a few days ago.

With no fresh injury concerns, Brian Sorensen will have the most pleasant of selection headaches ahead of the visit of Lydia Bedford’s team. The Foxes are winless so far and will be all too aware of the threat their hosts will pose as Everton look to register a second successive victory.

Gio Quieroz Costa and Hanna Bennison both impressed when introduced from the bench on Sunday night, the latter’s goal rounding off a perfect evening for The Blues, and with Leicester desperate to keep things tight at the back, the pressure will be firmly on the Everton attack line to make things happen.

One player surely certain to keep her place will be Jess Park. The Manchester City loanee’s dazzling and composed display was one of the many standouts of the win over Liverpool, with a goal and assist capping off her show-stealing performance.

After the match, the 20-year-old who this week earned a call-up to the Lionesses’ senior squad ahead of the upcoming international break, spoke of her delight with the win and the team’s togetherness, despite being relatively new to each other.

Photo by Charlotte Tattersall/Getty Images

“It was an unbelievable feeling. We didn’t want to lose, and we didn’t. We won. We kept playing our game and never lost our composure. The 3-0 speaks for itself.

“We are full of confidence. It is almost a completely new team and we have clicked together. Brian has come in and been absolutely brilliant. We know what we want to do and we have each other’s back.”

The Opposition

It has been a difficult start for the East Midlands outfit. An opening day defeat at home to Tottenham was followed by a 2-0 reverse at Aston Villa. Bedford felt the scoreline was harsh on her side, who trailed after three minutes to a Rachel Daly penalty, and remained in the fixture until four minutes before the end when Emily Gielnik doubled Villa’s lead.

The Foxes won’t stay wounded for long though and may well view being underdogs away at Everton as a perfect chance to spring a surprise.

Previous Meeting

The Blues claimed a league double over Leicester last season. A hard-fought 1-0 win on the road settled matters in the East Midlands, while a thrilling 3-2 victory at Walton Hall Park, with goals from Toni Duggan and an Anna Anvegard double ensuring the three points stayed on Merseyside.

And with the front line in a confident mood, goals are most likely to be on the cards in this one. Fingers crossed it is the Everton forwards adding to their tallies.

Congratulations Toni!

Photo by Emma Simpson - Everton FC/Everton FC via Getty Images

And on a very special note, Royal Blue Mersey would like to congratulate Everton icon Toni Duggan who this week announced that she is pregnant with her first child. The Blues have announced that the England forward will play no further part in the 2022/23 season, though she will continue to receive support from the club’s medical staff.