Liverpool Women suffered their third WSL defeat in a row, as Man United Women beat the Reds 2-0 at the St Helens Stadium.

Liverpool Women 0-2 Man United Women

WSL (3), St Helens Stadium
September 28, 2025

Goals: 4′ examples, Toone 45+2′

It has been a difficult week for the squad, since former manager Matt Beard passed away aged just 47.

His widow, Debbie, was in the stands to watch Liverpool lose on Sunday.

Manager Gareth Taylor made four changes from his team that thrashed second-division Sunderland 5-0 on Wednesday in the League Cup.

Captain Grace Fisk returned to the team at right-back, allowing Lily Woodham to return to her preferred left-back position.

Gemma Bonner also came back into the defence, replacing Jenna Clark at centre-back, while Leanne Kiernan and Beata Olsson made way for Sophie Roman Haug and Ceri Holland up front and on the right, respectively.

Though they came into the game with a boost of confidence thanks to their midweek win, the early mood of optimism was brought to a premature end as Hinata Miyawaza scored a wonderful sidefooted effort from 25 yards out.

Despite the early goal, Liverpool remained rigid in their 4-5-1 shape out of possession.

Soon, though, they would be disrupted by injury as Sam Kerr and Lily Woodham went down simultaneously with non-contact issues.

While Kerr was OK to continue, Woodham wasn’t as fortunate and was forced off just 18 minutes in. Fellow new signing Risa Shimizu was her replacement at left-back.

Man United nearly scored a second after 20 minutes, when a long throw came out to Miyazawa who struck the post with a left-footed shot from just inside the area.

Liverpool couldn’t get out of their own half for much of the first period and only managed 32 percent possession, with Roman Haug isolated up front.

However, completely against the run of play, Ceri Holland almost scored before the break as her shot deflected off Julia Zigiotti and elicited a fantastic save from Phallon Tullis-Joyce.

Liverpool’s brief renaissance wasn’t to last, though, as Man United broke and doubled their lead thanks to a calm finish from Ella Toone in added time.

Half time: Liverpool Women 0-2 Man United Women

With the system evidently not working, coach Taylor replaced Roman Haug at half time with the quicker and more agile striker, Mia Enderby.

Liverpool began to make the game more of a contest in the second half, as they got the opposition defenders turning and pushed wide midfielders Cornelia Kapocs and Holland higher up the pitch.

An hour in, Clark replaced Gemma Evans at centre-back, and moments later Liverpool had a chance to pull one back, but Kapocs put her one-on-one finish wide of the goalkeeper’s left-hand post.

With 10 minutes to play, substitute Enderby also faced down the ‘keeper with a great opportunity but, like Kapocs, she couldn’t convert as the Man United shot-stopper dived down quickly to her right.

While the Reds are now three games into the season without a league point, there was undoubted improvement in the second half, something they should hang their hat on for next weekend’s trip to WSL newcomers London City Lionesses.

Liverpool player of the match: Kirsty Maclean

Liverpool Women: Castle graph; Fish, Bonner, Evans (Clark 59 ′), Woodham (Shimizi 21 ′); Holland; Nagano, Kerr, MacLean, Kapocs; Roman Haug (Enderby 46 ′)

Subs not used: Kirby, Silcock, Parry, Lundgaard, Olsson, Symczak

Next match: London City (A) – WSL – Sunday, October 5, 11.55 (BST)