Previewing LCFC Women’s Trip To Face The Toffees
Taking on the Toffees in a 6:30pm kick-off at Walton Hall Park, Lydia Bedford’s Foxes are aiming to pick up their first points of the season and climb up the WSL table.
Prior to the action getting underway on Merseyside, here's all the information you need to know about both sides…
The Foxes camp
Rachel Daly and Emily Gielnik were on target for Aston Villa at King Power Stadium on Sunday, as the Villans defeated City 2-0, a week on from a 2-1 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur courtesy of goals from Ashleigh Neville and Drew Spence.
Goalkeeper Kirstie Levell is set to come up against her former club for the first time. The Birkenhead-born shot-stopper left Everton to join Leicester in the summer of 2020 but was out injured in last season’s three meetings.
Foxes captain Aileen Whelan, meanwhile, has netted six goals in nine WSL appearances against Everton across her career, twice as many as she has managed against any other side.
Talking points
Manager Lydia Bedford addressed the media on Tuesday, saying: “We’ve got our core, key principles that we’ve built across pre-season. We stick to those and we go out and execute them again on Thursday. At some point a little bit of luck has got to land on our side.”
Kirstie Levell also spoke in the presser: “The mood is still very high. We all know it’s a very long season. We’d be worried if we weren’t creating chances, but we are. In shooting practices, I’m taking the brunt of it and they do go in. It’s just about finding those finishes.”
The opposition
Finishing 10th in 2021/22, one position above Leicester, winning five of their 22 fixtures across the campaign, Everton will be aiming to place higher this term.
Sunday’s 3-0 win over city rivals Liverpool was the perfect way to earn their maiden victory of the season and end an eight-game winless run stretching back to last season, though they have now lost just one of their last four matches.
Megan Finnigan and Manchester City loanee Jess Park netted in the first half at Anfield, before substitute Hanna Bennison sealed the points late on. The Blues had lost 1-0 to West Ham United on the opening day.
The squad
Busy during the transfer window, the Toffees signed 23-year-old Denmark international twins Sara and Karen Holmgaard from Turbine Potsdam, while goalkeeper Emily Ramsey also joined on a season-long loan from Manchester United.
England youth international Aggie Beever-Jones, meanwhile, is in on loan from Chelsea, with Netherlands international Katja Snoeijs signing permanently.
After bringing in Denmark full-back Katrine Veje, Norwegian defender Elise Stenevik was recruited earlier this month, alongside Brazilian forward Giovana, on loan from Arsenal.
Kenza Dali, Danielle Turner and Simone Magill all made summer moves to Aston Villa, along with the departures of Grace Clinton (Manchester United) and Poppy Pattinson (Brighton & Hove Albion).
In the dugout
It was announced in April 2022 that Brian Sørensen would become Everton’s new manager ahead of the 2022/23 season, joining from Danish side Fortuna Hjorring, where he spent last season.
Beginning his career at IK Skovbakken, he moved to Fortuna in July 2012, winning the Danish league title in both 2014 and 2016 and also reaching the 2016/17 UEFA Women's Champions League Quarter-Finals during his first spell at the club.
Sørensen joined FC Nordsjælland in December 2018 and became their new head coach the following summer. The team were promoted to the Elitedivisionen for 2019/20, claiming the Danish Cup, before he headed back to Fortuna.
Last time out
Everton came away with all three points the last time the sides met at Walton Hall Park in the Barclays Women’s Super League, in March 2022.
Jemma Purfield opened the scoring before goals from Toni Duggan and Anna Anvegård for the hosts. Sam Tierney equalised but a second from Anvegård won the contest for the Toffees.
In fact, the Toffees came out on top in all three encounters last term, twice in the WSL and once in the Continental Tyres League Cup group stage.
Ticket and coverage details
Click HERE for all information on how to be at Thursday’s game, or follow from home.