Gareth Taylor has made nine changes for Liverpool’s Women’s Super League Merseyside Derby against Everton, with the Reds returning to full strength for their first match at Anfield this season.
The selection underlines how seriously Liverpool are treating the occasion. After beating Sunderland 4-2 in the League Cup in midweek, Taylor has chosen to refresh his team and put out a side that can try to rewrite last season’s result in this fixture.
MacLean returns as Liverpool reshuffle
One of the clearest changes is the return of Kirsty MacLean to the starting XI. That gives Liverpool another option in a game that feels significant not just because it is a derby, but because it is their first Anfield outing of the season.
Ceri Holland remains out with injury, so Liverpool still have an absence to manage even with the broader sense that the squad is moving back towards full strength. Sam Kerr is also at right back, while Mari Ward remains unavailable.
A chance to answer last season
This derby carries added weight because Everton won this fixture 4-1 last year, with Ornella Vignola scoring a hat-trick. Liverpool will know that result has lingered, and the Anfield setting gives them the chance to respond with a much stronger statement.
The scale of the changes suggests Taylor wants both energy and control. Nine alterations is not a minor adjustment, and it points to a manager willing to trust his depth while still prioritising a derby that matters to supporters and to the season’s momentum.
For Liverpool, the immediate question is whether the new-look side can produce the kind of performance that matches the occasion. For Everton, the challenge is to spoil the homecoming and make sure the Reds do not turn their first Anfield game of the campaign into a platform for a response.
