Gareth Taylor is excited for Liverpool Women’s WSL opener against Everton at Anfield. Appointed head coach last month, Taylor aims to improve on last season’s seventh-place finish. He emphasizes a strong performance and acknowledges the tense nature of derbies, prioritizing passion and hard work.
Gareth Taylor is brimming with anticipation as Liverpool Women prepare to face Everton in their Women’s Super League (WSL) season opener at Anfield. The newly appointed head coach, who joined the Reds last month, sees the Merseyside derby as a "fantastic" way to begin his tenure and the campaign. After parting ways with Manchester City at the close of the 2024-25 season, Taylor is eager to make a strong impression at his new club.
Liverpool Women are aiming to improve upon their seventh-place finish in the WSL last season. The team struggled towards the end of the campaign, winning only one of their final six matches and ultimately finishing 19 points behind third-place Manchester United. Taylor's arrival is expected to bring fresh energy and tactical adjustments to the squad, with the hope of challenging for a higher spot in the league standings.
Taylor boasts an impressive record against Everton in the WSL, having won eight of his nine previous encounters against the Toffees. He is relishing the opportunity to start his Liverpool career in such a high-profile match at Anfield, stating, "It’s great. I thought it was [a] fantastic [way to start]."
In an interview with the Liverpool website, Taylor expressed his excitement about the season opener: “After that we play two away fixtures. I think to start at Anfield is top-class. What a season-opener that is, to start on TV against your rivals.”
The match presents a significant opportunity for Liverpool to make a statement early in the season. Taylor emphasized the importance of putting on a strong performance, regardless of the result. "It’s a really good opportunity for us to make a good start, and I think take away the result, regardless of what happens I think what we want to do is put on a good performance. Obviously by doing that it gives us a much-improved opportunity to win the game."
While acknowledging his past success against Everton, Taylor is aware that the dynamics are different now that he is managing Liverpool. "It’s a nice record to have [against Everton] but it’s one that probably doesn’t apply to this job! Sometimes you have performances against teams where you get the result you require and sometimes you don’t get the result."
Taylor anticipates a tense and competitive derby match, highlighting the importance of passion and hard work. "Of course, we’re not expecting it to be a free-flowing game. We know what derbies are like, they’re tense. There’s very little constructive football played, I would say. It’s a bit more about passion and endeavour and hard work.”
The Liverpool Women's team also shared their anticipation for the upcoming season with a post on X:
It all starts this week. pic.twitter.com/WmG0Sxda9v
— Liverpool FC Women (@LiverpoolFCW) September 1, 2025