Ornella Vignola hailed amid ‘exceptional’ Everton Women scenes vs Liverpool
Ornella Vignola stole the show as Everton Women hammered Liverpool 4-1 on Sunday afternoon.
Brian Sorensen‘s Everton side are predicted to finish one place below their local rivals in the Women’s Super League, but they brushed them aside on 7 September.
Everton will play their home matches at Goodison Park, but they travelled the short distance to Anfield for their WSL opener.
However, the Blues were not phased by the famous ground and came out as easy winners in the end.
Everton have a new star in Ornella Vignola
Vignola was signed by Everton in July from Granada, and the Spanish Under-23 international made her mark on her debut.
The 20-year-old scored a hat-trick to flip the game on its head after Liverpool had taken an early lead in the Merseyside derby.
BBC pundit and former England international Karen Bardsley was stunned by the display and waxed lyrical about the new Blues ace.
Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live on 7 September (13:31), she said: “She’s been brilliant. I think she scored two goals in pre-season for Everton as well.
“She’s a young winger with pace, energy and skill. She can take the ball on her right and then quickly chop inside on her left. We’ve seen numerous skills from her today, and a fantastic header as well to boot.
“I think she’s going to be an exciting focal point or option when you see the likes of Kelly Gago return as well, with loads and loads of potential. She’s really stood out in pre-season, and her performance today has been exceptional.”
https://x.com/SkySportsWSL/status/1964674589016900031Brian Sorensen can take Everton Women to new heights
Sorensen is the second-longest serving manager in the WSL, after taking over the Toffees in 2022, keeping them in and around mid-table.
He has led them to a sixth-place finish, then two consecutive eighth-place finishes, and is looking to get back to the upper echelons of the division.
- Vignola took three shots and scored all of them against the Reds
- Had four touches in the opposition box at Anfield
- Made two passes into the final third to try and set up teammates
- Won three of the four duels that she attempted (75 per cent success rate)
If Vignola can keep up her impressive form all season, then Sorensen will have no problem doing exactly that.
The Spaniard looks like an inspired pick-up for the Blues, and she could lead them beyond expectations this season, if her performances are consistent.
Bardsley is correct; she was exceptional against the Reds, and WSL teams will be closely monitoring her progress in the next few weeks, and potentially having to come up with strategies to deal with her.
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