Credit: Toffee TV : Everton Fan Channel

Cameron Smith

Fri 27 March 2026 18:10, UK

Everton Women are preparing for a huge clash on Sunday, as they welcome rivals Liverpool to Goodison Park.

Sunday’s bout will be manager Scott Phelan’s second derby in charge of the Toffees, after they fell to a 2-1 FA Cup defeat last month.

Last time out, Phelan’s side suffered a narrow defeat to Manchester United, seeing their four-game winning run in the WSL come to an end, after a positive run either side of the month-long pause.

Aiming to bounce back in one of the WSL’s standout fixtures, the Blues have received a welcome boost, with multiple players returning following international duty at the Asia Cup.

Looking ahead to the derby, Phelan has highlighted both the significance of the occasion and the readiness of his side.

Scott Phelan excited for first Goodison Park derby

Taking over as interim manager in February, Phelan has seen an uptick in form as Toffees boss, with his one defeat coming at the hands of Sunday’s opponents in the FA Cup.

With the derby coming up, he admitted that the fixture requires no extra motivation.

“We’re in a good place,” he said. “The players who played against United are all fit. We have even bolstered with the players returning from the Asia Cup. We are in a good place and excited.”

No side in the division lost more players to the Asia Cup than Everton, with four taking part in the competition.

Everton’s Asia Cup representatives:

• Rion Ishikawa (Japan)
• Honoka Hayashi (Japan)
• Hikaru Kitagawa (Japan)
• Clare Wheeler (Australia)

This carried on throughout the competition, with all of these making the final – before Tottenham star Maika Hamano scored the winner for Japan against Wheeler’s Australia in the final.

“It is an exciting fixture in the calendar. It is red versus blue,” added Phelan on the derby. “We are desperate to try and make an impact in the game, which will lead to victory. Some games don’t need extra motivation; this is one of them.

“We are so proud and fortunate to play at Goodison. We want to create an atmosphere. We are desperate to come back and play in front of our home fans. We need as many to turn up and get behind us as possible. Hopefully we can keep creating memories towards now and the end of the season.”

Everton aiming to respond after late Manchester United setback

The Toffees head into Saturday’s derby looking to bounce back after a narrow defeat to Manchester United.

Phelan had overseen three league wins at the helm since his arrival, with the other in the four-match run coming against Aston Villa the week prior.

Positives can be taken from the loss, though, with his side forcing a late equaliser through Imma Gabarro against one of the league’s top outfits, before Melvine Malard found the back of the net in the 94th minute for the hosts.

The Blues sit six points ahead of their rivals before the encounter, with the mid-table region of the WSL being incredibly congested.

Everton dispatched Liverpool 4-1 on the opening day of the season and will no doubt take huge confidence from a massive result at Anfield.

Though they are now not just looking to bounce back from the cup defeat against their Merseyside rivals, but from their first league defeat under Phelan – a heartbreaking one.

Following the derby, the Toffees face Chelsea and Arsenal, who sit third and fourth respectively – further emphasising the importance of a win if they wish to stay where they are in the standings.