Liverpool Women and Brighton & Hove Albion Women will compete in the first Women's Super League game of 2025 when they face off at St Helens Stadium on Friday.
The Reds are sitting in eighth place in the WSL table, while the visitors are eight points better off in fifth position.
Match preview
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Liverpool will be disappointed to be in the bottom half of the standings, having won just two of their 10 WSL matches this season (D3, L5).
The Reds are nine points worse than they were at the same stage last season, leaving them with plenty to improve on in the final 12 league matches.
Matt Beard's side will look to start 2025 in a better manner than they finished the previous calendar year, losing each of their final four league games before the winter break, including a narrow 1-0 loss to Arsenal in their most recent outing.
As a result of that poor form, the Reds will head into Friday's fixture with hopes of claiming their first WSL victory since recording a 2-1 away win over Aston Villa on November 3.
They are also searching for their first home win of the WSL season, having taken just two points from their five top-flight encounters.
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Brighton are just two points away from matching their overall points tally from last season after taking 17 points from their 10 league matches this term.
The Seagulls made an impressive start to Dario Vidosic's first WSL campaign, winning four, drawing one and losing one of their opening six top-flight matches.
Brighton subsequently experienced a dip in form before the winter break, mustering four points from their final four matches of 2024.
That run of results saw them lose to Arsenal and Chelsea, either side of a win over West Ham, before they played out a 1-1 draw with Tottenham Hotspur.
They will be hoping to kick off 2025 with a victory, but that may be easier said than done given the fact they have failed to win their last four meetings with Liverpool since they recorded a 1-0 home victory in January 2020.
Team News
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Liverpool remain without the services of goalkeeper Faye Kirby and midfielder Sofie Lundgaard due to knee injuries.
Beard has revealed that Sophia Roman Haug is unlikely to be ready for Friday's fixture, but she could return for the away game against Leicester at the end of the month.
Julia Bartel and Sam Kerr are set to be involved in the matchday squad after arriving on loan from Chelsea and Bayern Munich respectively.
As for the visitors, they will hope to have Maria Thorisdottir available after the defender missed the final five matches of 2024 with a calf issue.
Fran Kirby was also struggling with a calf injury before the winter break, and it remains to be seen whether she will be available for Friday's contest.
Kiko Seike will provide one of Brighton's main attacking threats, having scored five goals in nine league appearances this season.
Liverpool Women possible starting lineup:
Micah; Fisk, Matthews, Clark; Parry, Barthel, Nagano, Colland, Hinds; Enderby, Smith
Brighton & Hove Albion Women possible starting lineup:
Baggaley; Thorisdottir, Bergsvand, Carabali; Olislagers, Losada, Cankovic, Pattinson; Bremen, Seike; Parris
We say: Liverpool Women 1-1 Brighton & Hove Albion Women
Liverpool will be desperate to claim their first home win of the WSL season when they play host to the Seagulls on Friday, but we think they will have to settle for a draw against a side that has made significant progress under Vidosic this season.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
