With two wins and clean sheets in their last two games, the mood around the Everton Women camp is positive ahead of Sunday’s visit of Chelsea.
A 95th minute winner against Leicester in their most recent game at Walton Hall Park sparked scenes of jubilation around a sell-out crowd, raising the Toffees to fifth in the table on the same number of points as Chelsea. Hanna Bennison’s late free-kick forced an own-goal, maintaining her strong start to the campaign.
It has been a tough start to the campaign for last season’s league winners, having suffered a shock defeat to newly promoted Liverpool as well as the disruption around influential manager Emma Hayes’ health. The Chelsea head coach underwent an emergency hysterectomy following her battle with endometriosis and will be absent from the touchline for a while.
This is a huge blow for the visitors, but the resilience they have shown on and off the pitch speaks volumes and Everton will still be up against it against the team who travel to Paris Saint-Germain in midweek for European duties.
Brian Sorensen, manager of Everton Women, has had a massive impact on the overall feeling around the club, reflected in selling out Walton Hall Park for this upcoming game. Tactically they have been extremely fluid, switching in and out of formations whilst tending to stick to a 3-4-3 system. The likes of Gabby George, Katrine Veje and Megan Finnigan have operated within the back three whilst all having cameos within the wing-back position too.
Sorensen has placed emphasis on comfort in possession and pressing with intensity, traits that were so influential in their stunning victory at Anfield.
Both sides have not played for two weeks minimum and therefore a high-paced affair is probably on the agenda. With regards to Chelsea, the majority of their players have been away on international duty, whilst Everton have only had a few which plays in the home team’s favour.
Not only have players had the time to rest, but Sorensen has had valuable time on the training ground to work on systems. Despite that, Millie Bright, Fran Kirby and Sam Kerr are all players who experienced Euro 2022 joy with England in the summer, and despite all of them playing in the recent internationals, they have the pedigree to come into a league game and take control.
One of the biggest positives in Everton’s season so far has been the form of Jess Park, the on-loan Manchester City winger. Her goal and performance at Anfield earned her a call-up to the England squad where she will have been training with several of the Chelsea team. Coming into this game with bundles of confidence in front of a sell-out crowd will suit her down to the ground.
Although Everton are still settling into the season with a new manager and lots of new players, Park is well established in the team now and will give Chelsea captain Magdalena Eriksson a tough game on the weekend.
Despite it being a huge opportunity for Everton to stamp their authority as being a competitor in the Women’s Super League this season, Chelsea’s vast experience and know-how may just see them take control of the proceedings. Having played in cup finals and Champions League knockout games recently, they have the ability to raise their level and tempo to whatever the opposition produce.
It may only be the fourth league game of the campaign, but this is a clash which could give us a real indicator as to where these sides are right now. The fans will create a special atmosphere at Walton Hall Park and a fascinating tactical battle awaits.
