Arne Slot’s side may be enjoying a well-earned rest whilst sitting pretty at the top of the Premier League this weekend, however, Anfield has still been a hive of activity as not 12 hours on from the now annual Kip On The Kop event in conjunction with the LFC Foundation and Liverpool Homeless FC, Liverpool Women were in action against their Manchester City counterparts. 

The Reds were without their boss Matt Beard who missed the match due to illness with assistants Scott Rogers and Amber Whiteley taking charge on a cold afternoon on Merseyside. 

It was a side containing last weekend’s match winners in the shape of Cornelia Kapocs and Marie Hobinger as well as skipper for the day Taylor Hinds and there was also a place on the bench for club captain Niamh Fahey. 

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The match got underway following a minutes’ applause to recognise the sad passing of Liverpool legend Peter Cormack and it was the visitors who started the stronger, dominating possession as The Reds rarely tried to press, instead opting to soak up pressure and attempt to hit on the counter. 

That ploy nearly paid dividends when Hobinger kept possession under pressure in midfield before releasing Olivia Smith who couldn’t quite find room inside the penalty area to do anything other than tamely strike the ball at the City goalkeeper. 

Despite City continuing to dominate the ball, the biggest threat was coming from Liverpool on the counter, particularly via the aerial prowess of Sophie Roman Haug who was regularly winning flick-ons to bring both Smith and Kapocs into the game.

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Those forays into the opponents’ final third had increased the confidence of the absent Beards’ side and suddenly it was the hosts in the ascendency, Gemma Bonner almost making the spell count when her header went over from a whipped-in free-kick. 

After a lengthy stoppage for an injury to Smith, City regrouped and almost took the lead when Khadija Shaw and Lauren Hemp combined with a neat one-two only for the latter to chip wide from a narrow angle. 

As the half-time break approached, the ever-dangerous Smith cut inside from her newfound left-wing position and let fly whilst being fouled with a well-struck effort that found the bottom corner to give Liverpool the lead and left herself requiring treatment when she should’ve been celebrating a superb Anfield goal.

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Rogers and Whiteley were forced into a change at the break when goalscorer Smith was forced off through injury having been in the wars somewhat in the first 45, Mia Enderby coming on to replace the dynamic Canadian. 

The Reds started the half the better of the two sides but it was City who scored next when Shaw got just enough on a header to beat Rachael Laws and squeeze in as the ‘keeper scrambled across in vain. 

There was a momentary panic when Laws went down under pressure as without a substitute goalkeeper there was a danger of an outfield player seeing out the remainder of the match with gloves on.

Fortunately, the spare gloves and goalie top were spared though as Laws continued, Fahey instead entered the pitch for Bonner.

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A chaotic goalmouth scramble ensued when Shaw lobbed the onrushing Laws only to hit the post and leave defenders and attackers alike scrambling for the ball only for a Liverpool shirt to clear inside the six-yard box. 

There were collective groans around Anfield as George Sephton announced seven minutes additional time with City piling on the pressure on a home side who had already gone to the well once or twice.

And it wasn’t to be as Shaw once again found the back of the net to inflict heartbreak on The Reds who had worked so hard in the circumstances to stay in the game and appeared destined for a well-earned and richly deserved point on an afternoon that worked the medical staff almost as hard as the players at times. 

FT 1-2 

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