As December’s reverse fixture at Leigh Sports Village sees Liverpool enter Sunday afternoon on top of their opponents, the Reds host Manchester United in the final Barclays Women’s Super League game to be hosted by Prenton Park.

Both sides find themselves in an arm wrestle for fourth spot on the league table, as a fixture in Merseyside is all that separated the teams heading into the clash.

LIV: Micah; Clark, Bonner, Fisk; Hinds, Nagano, Koivisto, Holland, Höbinger; Haug, Enderby 

MUN: Earps; Evans, Le Tissier, Turner, Blundell; Naalsund, Zelem; Galton, Toone, García; Parris 

Separated by only Manchester United’s superior goal difference (+14) in the Barclays Women’s Super League standings, the long-standing adversaries both had significant opportunities to net the game’s opening goal throughout an all-action opening quarter-hour at Prenton Park.

First, Liverpool keeper Teagan Micah did brilliantly to prevent Leah Galton’s one-on-one from hitting the net before Reds’ captain Taylor Hinds saw her effort well-saved at her near post by Mary Earps. 

The end-to-end atmosphere to the game’s opening exchanges were certainly not finished there, as Micah was again called into duty as she kept hold of Millie Turner’s fearsome strike towards goal. Holland then looked to register another shot on target that Earps was successfully able to deal with in order to preserve the deadlock.

Emma Koivisto then spurned a glorious opportunity to break the deadlock in the 19th minute, as the flying-forward full back’s instinctive run behind the United defence saw her head against the post and then somehow fire the rebound wide of the mark.

However, Liverpool were able to capitalise deep into stoppage-time at the end of the first half, not long after manager Matt Beard was shown a straight red card by referee Melissa Burgin for angrily protesting a prior foul. Jenna Clark made her way up from the back to convert Marie Höbinger’s delicious delivery into the danger zone from her spot at the back post. 

Still unable to manufacture an equalising goal with the match-day clock nearing the hour-mark, United manager Marc Skinner introduced the experience of Rachel Williams into the game in place of his ineffectual top goalscorer this season, in Parris.

However, amid a hat-trick of efforts off target by the trio of Mia Enderby, Fuka Nagano and Holland, the hosts remained untroubled by an underwhelming second-half attacking performance by United, to subsequently leapfrog their rivals into fourth position in the Barclays Women’s Super League.

Liverpool now occupy fourth position on the Barclays Women’s Super League tally, as Manchester United trail their own 2022/23 tally by a piling 21-point margin.