Liverpool FC Women 1, Chelsea 9: Reds Embarrassed In League Cup Exit

Liverpool: Clark 72’

Chelsea: Kerr 13’, 17’; Kaptein 21’; Beaver-Jones 32’; Kaneryd 53’, 73’, 81’; Njusken 76’; Bright 86’

Pre-Match

The Liverpool FC Women play their last match of the calendar year, taking on Chelsea in the quarterfinals of the FA Women’s League Cup. The Reds have had little joy this season after remaining winless in the WSL and collecting only three total points, but Liverpool did manage to stay perfect in the group stages of the FA Women’s League Cup. That was against lower tier talent, however, and the Reds will face a very different task in Chelsea. Liverpool play at home for the first time since Dec. 6, having played 4 away matches in the interim.

Gareth Southgate is still dealing with a massive injury crisis within the team, naming only five players to the bench. Grace Fisk, Leanne Kiernan, Risa Shimizu, Sam Kerr, Hannah Silcock, and Emilia Szymczak all miss out due to injury or fitness. That’s without mentioning players lost for the season with ACL injuries: Sophie Roman Haug, Marie Höbinger, and Zara Shaw. Liverpool did not appeal the incorrectly awarded red card to Gemma Bonner, so she is out to serve the suspension while Rafaela Borggräfe remains unavailable with an ongoing investigation by the FA. In the team, Ceri Holland is fit enough for a starting spot. Academy players Neve Campbell and Mazie Trueman are two of the five players on the bench.

First Half

Liverpool with good energy and an aggressive high press to start the match. They have caused several turnovers and played the opening several minutes in the Chelsea half. Great to see the positive play in the early going.

A ball forward finds Ceri Holland in the box with Beata Olsson inside. Holland tries to bring the bouncing ball under her control, but Millie Bright nicks it off of her before Holland can cause any real danger.

Chelsea have the ball in the net with a header off of a corner kick, but the referee belatedly blows her whistle and signals for a foul. Replays don’t show any clear infractions as Liverpool seem to get a bit lucky here.

Goal Chelsea. Just moments later, the Blues get the ball forward again, recycling possession to Niamh Charles in the right channel. The defender slides a perfect ball forward for the diagonal run of Sam Kerr (the Australian one, not the Scottish one), and the striker swivels and strikes the ball first time. Her low shot is perfectly placed and slides just past a diving Faye Kirby.

Just a minute after scoring, Chelsea get another shot away in the box that is blocked out by the body of Jenna Clark. There are calls for hand ball, but the referee rightly ignores the requests as the ball hit the body and deflected to the arm by her side. Liverpool then get the ball forward and try to find an equalizer through Cornelia Kapocs, but the Swede hits the ball right at Livia Peng.

Goal Chelsea. Jenna Clark and Lucy Parry are not on the same page on a simple pass out of the back and it is picked off. The ball is immediately played inside to Sam Kerr with no one around her in the box, and she slams the ball past Kirby for her second goal of the match. We are less than 20 minutes in. This could get ugly.

Goal Chelsea. The Blues again just carve through the midfield before playing the ball inside to Wieke Kaptein at the top of the box. The midfielder turns with no immediate pressure and hits a shot that just evades the sliding challenge of Fuka Nagano and tucks inside the near post after beating the diving Faye Kirby.

Liverpool are trying to find opportunities in transition. Mia Enderby gets the ball with space down the left wing, racing forward in full stride. As we’ve seen all too many times before, she pushes the ball way too far forward in front of her and it is taken away by a Chelsea defender to kill the chance.

Sam Kerr is sent free through the middle, but she takes just too heavy of a touch as she charges into the Liverpool box. Faye Kirby gratefully slides and collects the ball before Kerr can score a fourth goal in the first half.

Liverpool work the ball forward and have it at the top of the box with numbers forward. Their next three passes all go backwards to the midfield stripe before the Reds turn the ball over without getting any actual attacking output.

Goal Chelsea. Aggie Beaver-Jones just loves scoring against Liverpool. It’s another simple ball over the top for Beaver-Jones to run onto near the top of the box. With a defender on her hip and Faye Kirby racing out of the goal to try and cut off the angle, the forward simply hits the bouncing ball first time to lob it over Kirby and have it bounce into the net to make it 4-0. there are still 15 minutes to play in the first half.

Rare bit of positive play for Liverpool as Lily Woodham tries to make something happen from her left back spot. She drives forward with the ball and lifts a ball into the box. It drifts towards the goal and forces Peng into a leaping save.

Play is stopped after Aggie Beaver-Jones goes down off the ball. Replay shows a non-contact injury as she rolled her ankle while running back towards the ball. It doesn’t look good for the forward and she has to be subbed off just before the half. Lauren James comes on in her place.

Liverpool have numbers on the counter late in the first half as Beata Olsson carries the ball forward with Cornelia Kapocs and Ceri Holland making runs. Olsson attempts the thread the ball through two defenders for Kapocs just to her left and the ball is lost. Ceri Holland was free in acres of space to her right.

Chelsea with two corner kicks to end the first half, and they manage to somehow not score another goal. Liverpool are thrilled to get off the pitch as the whistle blows to end a disaster of a first half.

Second Half

Gareth Southgate makes a change to start the second half. Sofie Lundgaard comes on in place of Kirsty MacLean. It’s a like for like change in midfield.

Liverpool have their best chance of the match just a minute into the second half. Some good combination play down the left ends with Mia Enderby lofting a ball to the far post. Ceri Holland makes a diving attempt, but her header goes just wide of the post.

Chelsea have the ball in the goal again off of a corner kick, and again the referee gives a foul. Like in the first half, the replay shows nothing in it, with the Reds getting lucky. Faye Kirby flapped at the ball and completely missed it.

Goal Chelsea. And like in the first half, the Blues score just moments after seeing a goal disallowed. This time it is Johanna Kaneryd. The Swedish midfielder gets the ball at the top of the box and hits a fantastic strike the flies over Kirby and into the far corner.

Liverpool come close to finding a consolation goal, but are kept out with a goal line clearance. A cross from the right commes all the way across to Lily Woodham on the left, and the fullback sends in a great delivery for Gemma Evans. The defender leaps and heads the ball towards goal, but it is cleared off the line by the head of Sjoke Nusken.

Ceri Holland puts a good delivery into the box, and the ball comes to Mia Enderby at the top of the box. Enderby swings and misses at the bouncing ball.

Another good bit of play from Holland, beating her defender 1v1 and getting to the end line before delivering a good cross in. The ball is just too high for Beata Olsson, but it is turned behind for a corner kick.

GOAL LIVERPOOL. The corner is sent in by Holland to the far post and Jenna Clark nods it into the goal.

Goal Chelsea. The Blues go straight down the pitch and score again after conceding. Maika Hamano makes the most of a ball forward to the end line, playing a smart back heel for Johanna Kaneryd. The Swede hits a shot first time, and it deflects off the heel of Jenna Clark to wrongfoot Faye Kirby.

Goal Chelsea. Its a simple ball swung in to the back post for Sjoke Njusken, who leaps over Lucy Parry to head the ball home. Parry had lost track of Njusken and was waiting for the ball rather than attacking it. It’s 7-1 with 15 minutes still to play.

Goal Chelsea. The humiliation continues as Lucy Parry just jogs back after being played around, allowing a simple ball to be played inside the box for Sjoke Nusken. Her shot crashes off the crossbar, but the rebound falls perfectly for Johanna Kaneryd to head into an open net. That’s a hat trick for Kaneryd.

Goal Chelsea. Millie Bright scores now. Sofie Lundgaard tries to play out of the box and passes it to Bright, who plays a quick 1-2 with Maika Hamano. Bright is clear in the box and slams the ball into the net.

Final Thoughts

That was truly an embarrassing way to end an embarrassing first half of the season. While the Liverpool were certainly shorthanded, they cannot use that as an excuse for a loss of this magnitude, and it will leave a bitter taste in the mouths of the side as they head off for their winter break.

Liverpool have not beaten a first tier team in any competition this season, with the only wins coming over squads in the bottom half of WSL2 during cup play. There is expected to be activity in the transfer market this January, but there is going to need to be a major shift to find a way to stay up this season.