The first clash of Super Sunday opened with an excitement roll call, as Goodison Park was set to host the reverse fixture of the Merseyside derby.

Losing only one of their previous seven Merseyside Derbies played in the Barclays Women’s Super League, Everton most notably replaced suspended central defender Elise Stenevik, following her red card in the defeat to Aston Villa last weekend, as Emma Bissell made her way into the starting eleven.

Meanwhile, after suffering a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Brian Sørensen’s side in October’s reverse fixture at Anfield – courtesy of hosts’ captain Megan Finningan heading home the game’s only goal in the 31st minute – Liverpool manager Matt Beard recalled Missy Bo Kearns, Lucy Parry and Fuka Nagano to his XI, in anticipation of avenging that defeat.

EVE: Brosnan; Galli, Finnigan, Vanhaevermaet, Bissell; Payne; Bennison, Hope, Kühl, Wheeler; Snoeijs 

LIV: Laws; Parry, Clark, Fahey, Fisk, Matthews; Holland, Nagano, Kearns; Haug, Kiernan 

In front of a crowd of 9,457 inside of Goodison Park, arch-neighbours Liverpool began assertively, amassing over two-thirds of possession within the opening quarter-hour, as three lengthy injury stoppages portrayed the eagerness and physicality involved in such a high-stakes game with local bragging rights up for grabs. 

However, the first piece of significant goalmouth action took 29 minutes to arrive as Courtney Brosnan was left breathing a sigh of relief after Liverpool’s top goalscorer in the Barclays Women’s Super League this season, Sophie Román Haug, failed to capitalise on her mistimed pass out from the back. Responding to their arch rivals’ unrelenting pursuit of the game’s opening goal, Emma Bissell fired a fierce strike into the side netting after Grace Fisk had inexplicably presented the ball to the opposition inside her own half. 

On course to move above Manchester United in the WSL standings, and only five points adrift of the final UEFA Champions League qualification position, Matt Beard rolled the substitutional dice shortly before the hour-mark as Mia Enderby and Marie Hobinger entered the fray in search of breaking the elusive deadlock. Despite the visitors’ changes, Everton were the ones who were close to celebrating in the 71st minute as Lucy Hope’s goalbound strike beat Rachael Laws, but agonisingly not the frame of the goal. 

With time running out to find a match-winner, Justine Vanhaevermaet saw her fearsome strike acrobatically saved by Laws but ultimately neither side could find a breakthrough in the final 11 minutes – plus seven minutes of second-half stoppage time.

 A share of the spoils leaves Everton with only one victory in front of their supporters in the Barclays Women’s Super League this season, while Liverpool will hope Aston Villa can get a result out of Arsenal at Villa Park later this evening – as the ongoing battle for UEFA Champions League qualification continues for the Reds.