Everton Women vs Chelsea: WSL Match Preview
11/03/2024 12:37 AM
Payne hoping Goodison acts as a springboard for the season
Toni Payne is relishing the opportunity of playing at Goodison Park and believes it to be the perfect venue to kickstart Everton Women's season.
The striker has also admitted to still adjusting to the Women's Super League, which she views as the most competitive in women's football, but is excited at the prospect of facing defending champions Chelsea on Sunday.
The Blues are so far winless in the league this season, but Payne insists that there is no panic and the team's solid performances will soon be yielding more points.
"It's obviously [Goodison Park] a beautiful stadium. I imagine myself playing on this field in front of more fans than we usually see at Walton Hall Park, it would be amazing," she said.
"I'm super excited for the upcoming game against Chelsea.
"Coming from Spain, I only got about three opportunities to play at a big stadium. And now we are playing at Goodison, and these games are a different atmosphere, higher tempo, and more pressure, but good pressure.
"I feel like coming from a different league and joining this one, which is probably the most competitive for women's football right now, can be a big change.
"But I feel that I am adjusting, growing and learning a lot, especially from my teammates and coaches.
And on the current run, Payne Continued:
"There is definitely no panic right, it will click for us as we are playing well.
"So if we can do it, especially at Goodison Park, it will help going forward in the season and for the derby against Liverpool."
After an international break in which several Everton players represented their countries, Brian Sorensen has confirmed that there are a couple of players who will face late fitness tests.
One name who is more than likely to miss the Goodison clash is in-form midfielder Clare Wheeler, who is battling a bout of sickness.
The Opposition
Sonia Bompastor has one or two concerns of her own ahead of the weekend's fixture.
The Chelsea boss has confirmed that forward Catarina Macario will not feature, while Lauren James remains sidelined with a calf injury.
Midfielder Wieke Kaptein will continue to be assessed ahead of our trip to Merseyside after she withdrew from the Netherlands squad during the international window with a toe injury.
But with four league wins in four and the current WSL's leading scorers and meanest defenders, Chelsea will come into this fixture as the favourites.
A team packed with quality, the forward line includes Australian international star Sam Kerr and former Everton loanee, Aggie Beever-Jones.
But it is Johanna Rytting Kaneryd who currently tops their scoring charts, following an impressive start to the campaign, which has also sees Bompastor's side currently topping Women's Champions League Group B.
Previous Meetings
Should Sorensen be celebrating his 50th WSL match in charge of the Blues with a win, then he will have to achieve a feat the Blues haven't managed since 2020. That FA Cup semi-final saw goals from Lucy Hope and Valerie Gauvin send the Blues to the final.
2013 was the last time Everton bested Chelsea in the league at home, with Chantelle Boye-Hlorkah late strike sealing a 3-2 win.
That year proved to be a good one against the West London outfit; Toni Duggan's hattrick and a goal from Michelle Hinnigan saw Everton demolish their hosts 4-1 on the road.
Since then, Chelsea have dominated proceedings, winning 13 out of 14 in the the league, with last season's fixture ending 3-0 in favour of the visitors.
March's FA Cup quarter-final was a much closer encounter though, with the champions riding their luck and coming away with a victory, and Sorensen will be drawing on that spirit in order to motivate his team as they play their first of two consecutive games at Goodison Park.
Everton Women vs Chelsea takes place at the Grand Old Lady on Sunday, 3 November, with kick-off at 6.45pm (GMT).
Tickets are still available and can be purchased, here.
