At last, their wait is over. Liverpool’s players could gather in front of the Kop for a celebratory team photograph after the final whistle and rejoice in a new feeling, after beating Everton at Anfield in a Women’s Super League fixture for the first time and finally ending their long run of derby pain.

After six wins from six visits to Anfield for Everton in the WSL era and even quips from their former manager Brian Sørensen in previous campaigns about making Anfield their “training pitch” during their persistent run of victories in this showpiece fixture, Beata Olsson’s early header and Cornelia Kapocs’s late finish were enough to give them a deserved 2-0 victory.

“It’s nice to break that duck, definitely,” the Liverpool head coach, Gareth Taylor, said. “We just downplayed the game, if that makes sense, because it becomes something that’s so big that players start to worry. We want players to go out and feel natural, like they’re playing like they were when they were growing up.

“It is nice because it’s a stat that can just grow and grow. I felt we were hard done by [at Anfield] last season – if you look at their xG in that game, they scored four goals but they were absolute worldies, whereas today we’ve scored two [but] we probably could have had six.”

Taylor was not wrong; the hosts were undeniably the better side and should have scored more goals. Indeed, they would have done had it not been for the heroics of the Everton midfielder Ruby Mace.

When Olsson got in front of her marker, Hannah Blundell, to meet Natalia Ramos’s right-sided corner and angle her header perfectly, diagonally across goal and into the far corner inside the first four minutes you could have been forgiven for thinking Liverpool were set for an easy afternoon such was the simplicity of the goal. Instead, what followed was something of a slog at times with Liverpool trying to break down an Everton backline that initially proved difficult to open up.

After the break, another set piece almost did the job for Liverpool but Vivien Endemann’s volley smacked against the crossbar. By now the pressure was almost relentless and, with just over 20 minutes remaining, Ramos looked certain to score, with time to shoot less than 10 yards out. But the effort was blocked by Mace, who threw her body in front of the ball to keep her side in the contest.

Five minutes later, Mace again came to Everton’s rescue and hooked Kapocs’s effort off the line. The Liverpool forward’s attempted header had come off the top of her shoulder and bounced goalwards, but Mace intervened just in time.

Cornelia Kapocs fires in Liverpool’s second goal against Everton. Photograph: Nick Potts/PA

Eventually, Kapocs found room inside the area to turn and fire home in the closing stages, much to the relief of Liverpool’s supporters. The result continued the side’s encouraging start to the campaign as they moved on to seven points from their opening four games, their only defeat having come away against the defending champions, Manchester City.

It took Taylor’s side until 25 January to accumulate seven points last season but they look significantly improved and have built on the progress they made during the second half of 2025-26.

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The visitors had spurned a couple of decent chances on the counterattack before the break, including Hannah Cain scuffing over from a promising position. Overall, however, Everton, whose only two league goals this season have been own goals, will be concerned about their comparative lack of creativity.

Quick GuideWSL roundup: Spurs go second, Man Utd earn first winShow

Victoria Pelova scored twice as Tottenham moved up to second in the WSL table with a 4-0 win over Aston Villa, while Manchester United earned their first win of the season, edging West Ham 2-1.

Dutch midfielder Pelova [pictured] broke the deadlock in the 54th minute at Brisbane Road, and then fired in a second off the underside of the crossbar, taking her tally to four goals in two WSL games. Spurs sealed victory as Caitlin Dijkstra headed in, and Cathinka Tandberg added a fourth with two minutes left.

Manchester United secured their first WSL victory under new manager Eva Olid, defeating West Ham in Leigh. Elisabeth Terland’s header set United on their way after nine minutes, with summer signing Andrea Medina doubling the lead late in the second half. Viviane Asseyi scored a late penalty for the visitors.

Océane Hurtré fired Birmingham City ahead after 40 seconds against Crystal Palace, scoring the quickest goal of the season so far.  Shanade Hopcroft’s long-range free-kick had Palace level on the half-hour, before Hurtré restored Birmingham’s lead with an angled strike.

Palace fought back to lead at St Andrew’s, their goals coming from Bethany England and Lexi Lloyd-Smith, but Suzu Amano struck with three minutes left to secure Birmingham a point in a thrilling 3-3 draw. Press Assocation

Photograph: Richard Pelham/Getty Images Europe

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Asked about that wait for one of his own players to score a league goal, the Everton head coach, Scott Phelan, spoke calmly, saying: “We know we need to be more decisive in those actions, 100%. We have won two games as well and three on the bounce, so we don’t forget that. [But] yes, we want to start contributing more in the final third and that’ll be a challenge for all of us.

“We’ve played four games, so it’s definitely not panic stations. We’ve got good players in those areas of the pitch, we’re convinced they will contribute more – we’ve just got to wait for that moment to appear and hopefully it’s sooner rather than later.”

Phelan’s team still sit comfortably in the middle of the table with two wins from four games. Perhaps the most disappointing aspect for Everton fans will be that they can no longer rely on their annual collection of three points from Anfield.