Everton Women face Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday as they look to cement their spot in the top four.
The Blues struggled against Manchester City mid-week in the Continental Cup after three second-half goals condemned them to a 4-1 loss, despite dramatically winning the first women’s Merseyside derby to be held at Anfield last weekend.
In Tottenham they face a different test, as their opposition look to bounce back from consecutive defeats to Arsenal and Chelsea.
Victory for Spurs gains them a toehold in the top four and puts them level on points with Everton, whilst a defeat extends the gap to six points. Manchester United, who play Brighton & Hove Albion at home, could also close the gap if they better Everton’s result.
The Toffees will rely on the league’s top scorer Chloe Kelly to continue her form, with the England international shortlisted for Barclays player of the month in October, after clinching the inaugural award in September.
The away side – off the back of three wins in five – remain defensively sound but have a sense of doubt and inconsistency about their attack. In front of a record-breaking 38,262 crowd last weekend, Tottenham failed to convert numerous chances before later slumping to a two-nil loss at home.
Given a similar story for Liverpool last weekend, Everton Women will be hoping for a repeat of their own derby result.
However, Tottenham await positive news as 32-year-old playmaker Gemma Davidson continues her return from an ankle injury, with an impactful appearance from the bench against Arsenal hinting at a potential start on Sunday.
