Liverpool take on Everton this Friday night as Goodison Park plays host to the women’s Merseyside derby – which could be the last at the stadium.
There’s extra pressure on Liverpool to perform against the Blues this time around.
Over 27,000 supporters were in attendance to watch Everton win 3-0 at Anfield in the first derby of the season, and the Reds are out to regain some respectability in the fixture.
Manager Matt Beard has stressed that his side still aren’t mathematically safe from relegation – however there’s little chance of Liverpool actually being relegated.
There is another incentive, though, for the Reds to win on Friday: this could potentially be the last Merseyside derby to be played at Goodison Park.
If Everton‘s men’s side were to get relegated, they would spend their final season before they move to a new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock in the Championship, and would therefore not play Liverpool barring an unlikely draw in the cups.
There is also no guarantee that the women’s derby will be played at the men’s stadium again next season.
When asked about the prospect of being the last Liverpool team to ever play at Goodison, LFC Women’s veteran defender Gemma Bonner laughed and replied: “That’s a responsibility in itself, no pressure.
“I won’t mention that one to the girls!”
Bonner told This Is Anfield: “It’s a huge honour that we can represent Liverpool in the derby and go and play there, so we have to make sure that we don’t play the occasion.
“I know it’s a very cliched saying but we have to channel our emotion in the right way, turn up and we have to take confidence from the result at the weekend – we’ve just beaten Tottenham which was a huge-pressure game for us.
“We still have to keep building and there’s a long way to go yet for us as a team.
“What better way to finish at Goodison than with a win on Friday night?”
Brian Sorensen’s Everton have six more points than Liverpool this season and are two places higher in the Women’s Super League.
They would have hoped to be further up the table at this point, but are still favourites going into the match.
With players returning from injury and January signings performing well, Liverpool will hope to finish the season on a good run of form, having won two of their last four matches.
