The Barclays Women’s Super League ended its winter hibernation tonight as Liverpool won their first home game of this WSL season beating Brighton 2-1. Brighton visited Liverpool’s St Helen’s stadium knowing that a win would give them a higher points tally than the garnered the whole of last season. The home side on the other hand, Liverpool were looking to improve upon a disappointing first half of the season which sees them start the year in eighth place. Liverpool would also have hoped to end their unenviable record of being the only side not to keep a clean sheet in the WSL this season and pick up that elusive first home win.
Neither side had played a competitive match in 2025 prior to tonight after both of their Adobe FA Cup ties were postponed due to a frozen pitch. For Liverpool, Bayern Munich loanee Sam Kerr came directly into the home side’s starting line up for her debut. Liverpool were also boosted by the presence of their Austrian midfielder Marie Höbinger who was fit enough to make the bench. Liverpool looked to match Brighton’s formation from the start setting up in a 3-4-3 formation which Brighton have utilised for most of this season under Dario Vidošić.
Brighton made one change from the side that drew 1-1 with Tottenham before the winter break with Barcelona loanee Bruna Vilamla coming into the starting eleven for former Wolfsburg winger Pauline Bremer.
The Lineups
LIV: Micah, Hinds, Fisk, Silcock, Evans, Parry, Nagano, Kerr, Holland, Smith, Kapocs
BHA: Baggaley, Olislagers, Pattinson, Bergsvand, Carabalí, McLauchlan, Čanković, Losada, Seike, Vilamla, Parris
The Action
The match began and the game showed signs of winter’s rust. The first action came when a speculative ball into the box from Liverpool wing back Lucy Parry was spilled by Sophie Baggaley in the Brighton goal, the keeper was just able to steer the ball away from Taylor Hinds who was attempting to steal in behind.
The first 20 minutes were very much a story of uncomfortable goalkeepers with Tegan Micah also almost passing the ball directly to Nikita Parris for a tap in but for a vital intervention from Grace Fisk.
If there were suspicions of rustiness they were soon dispelled by a flying Canadian, Liverpool’s Olivia Smith. A beautiful counter-attacking move saw Smith storm from her own half into the Brighton box, while she was tracked all the way by Guro Bergsvand, the Norwegian was powerless to stop a wonderful finish from Smith coming from the right side of the pitch she fired the ball into the top left corner.
The goal helped Liverpool to settle into the match as Brighton struggled to look comfortable. With just over five minutes to play in the second half Smith was through down the right hand side again after Ceri Holland’s ball found Smith whose shot fizzed just wide.
Brighton attempted to respond as Rachel McLaughlin’s cross was deflected into the path of Parris who found the ball quickly smothered by Micah and the danger extinguished. Brighton’s attacks were few and far between but Kiko Seike was still able to sting the palms of Micah before half-time, perhaps remembering her hat-trick against the last Merseyside opposition she faced.
Surprisingly at half-time Liverpool made one change as Matt Beard withdrew Lucy Parry who’d had an accomplished first half performance and brought on Jenna Clark. Poppy Pattinson began the second half as she had ended the first, with the former Everton defender relishing the role of anti-hero continued to cause a nuisance to the Liverpool side and eventually finding herself in the referee’s notebook. But Liverpool looked more likely to double their lead than Brighton did to level. 55 minutes into the match Liverpool perhaps should have doubled their advantage, Smith once again did brilliantly to flash a ball across the six yard box which Swedish striker Cornelia Kapocs was unable to get a touch on.
With 30 minutes to play Liverpool enjoyed a welcome boost as Höbinger was introduced from the bench to the joy of the St Helen’s crowd. Another substitute Mia Enderby plotted a route through on the right hand side, running clean through her shot flashed wide when perhaps she should have squared to Leanne Kiernan.
Liverpool were left rueing their luck just moments later after they themselves were caught on the counter, Seike flew forward down the right before cutting the ball back to Parris whose deflected effort looped over Micah resulting in Brighton’s leveller. Matt Beard, who was in the stands serving the a touchline ban after receiving three yellow cards this season, shook his head in disbelief. Parris cupped her ear to the crowd as the striker who was born in Liverpool zealously celebrated her goal.
Liverpool looked to respond with the marauding Clark pushing up field and finding her way into the box, but her cross was cleared by the Brighton defence. Moments later Enderby flashed a ball across the box as Liverpool looked to turn up the heat on Brighton but the home side were unable to look to Smith who had been taken off with 30 minutes to play.
Enderby once again with some positive running was able to cross the ball into the box, Brighton were only able to clear as far as Fisk whose shot ricocheted unfortunately for Brighton off Jorelyn Carabalí and into the Brighton net, making it 2-1 to Liverpool.
Hannah Silcock had to be withdrawn due to injury with Gemma Bonner introduced, denying Julia Bartel a debut for Liverpool, after the Chelsea loanee had been ready to be introduced.
Liverpool were able to hold out for a deserved 2-1 victory which was their first home win in the league this season and climb the table to sixth, now just five points behind their opponents tonight.
Next up for Brighton they welcome Arsenal in the quarter final of the Subway Women’s League Cup while Liverpool welcome West Ham in the WSL next weekend.
The Halfway Line Player of the Match- Olivia Smith:
While some lacked match sharpness Smith showed no such difficulties, the Canadian caused all kinds of problems for the Brighton defence, nabbing a goal of the season contender while looking a threat throughout. It would be easy to forget Smith is just 20 years old such was the maturity evident in her performance, Liverpool’s record signing played like it tonight.
