Liverpool Women will have circled the opening three fixtures of the 2026-27 campaign and done the maths. Newly promoted Charlton. Mid-table Tottenham. The reigning champions, Manchester City. Four points from nine would have sounded pragmatic, realistic, a base to build on after last season’s struggles.
They might still get those four points. The story, though, already feels different.
A ruthless 4-0 dismantling of Charlton on opening day nudged expectations upwards. It wasn’t just three points; it was a statement of intent from a side determined to drag themselves back into the thick of the FAWSL pack. The 1-1 draw with Spurs that followed did not quite match the scoreline of week one, but in many ways it said even more about where this team is heading.
Gareth Taylor certainly saw it that way.
“I’m really proud of the performance,” he said afterwards. “I felt we were the better team. We improved second half, but I still felt we were probably the team that were looking more likely in the first. I think where we’ve just come up short today is our final action.”
That final action is what separates a solid draw from a defining win. Liverpool dominated long stretches, particularly after the break, when the pattern of the game hardened into something close to attack versus defence.
“For the amount of play that we had, it felt in the second half that Tottenham really couldn’t get out of their half but only for a couple of moments,” Taylor said. “I’m really proud of the team and where we’ve taken it to now. I thought the goal was quality and I thought we could have had a penalty.”
The pressure told, just not often enough on the scoreboard. Liverpool moved the ball with confidence, pinned Spurs back, and forced mistakes. The performance carried a fluency that simply wasn’t there for long spells last season, when survival and damage limitation often took precedence over expression.
Now, there is a platform. A clear idea. A side that looks like it knows how it wants to play.
Even if the opening three games yield only those four “expected” points, the context matters. Last year, Liverpool laboured. This year, they have already produced a four-goal win, a strong display against a capable Tottenham side, and a pre-season that hinted at a team sharpening its tools rather than just making up the numbers.
“There are a lot of elements of our game today that we’re really satisfied with,” Taylor said. “Tottenham are a good team. They’re not going to give up the spaces easily and they wanted to be aggressive and change their press in the first half to try to stop us gaining so much ball.”
Spurs did adjust, stepping higher, disrupting Liverpool’s rhythm early on. The response was encouraging: composure under pressure, better use of the ball, and a second half in which Liverpool dictated the tempo and territory. The missing piece was the ruthless edge in front of goal that turns dominance into a signature result.
Now comes the real examination.
A rare Friday night kickoff against Manchester City, the defending champions, will strip away any illusions and measure this Liverpool side against the league’s elite. The signs from pre-season and these first two outings suggest they are no longer content to simply cling on.
They have their four-point target in sight. The question is whether they are already ready to aim higher.
