It is a testament to the quick transformation that Everton have positioned themselves as the side to beat in the WSL and across their 3-1 loss to reigning champions Chelsea, they looked the part.
But they remain a work in progress, even if Everton cut a team transformed on Sunday from the one manager Brian Sorensen first laid eyes on last March in the reverse fixture when the Toffees failed, again, to put to bed a grim run of eight WSL matches without a goal against Chelsea, the longest ever run by a team against a single opponent in the competition’s history.
While that unenviable streak is finally put to rest, work remains to be done after a match that was alarmingly open, consistently full-throttle affair from start to finish. The home side immediately established the tempo as they pressed Chelsea’s backline from the off. Everton right wing-back Lucy Graham saw two early chances fizz wide, while Hanna Bennison, Jess Park and Elise Isolde Stevenik did well to win back possession and pile on the pressure.
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An animated Bennison particularly gave the Londoner's backline a torrid time, and her match-up against Kadeisha Buchanan in the middle of Chelsea’s back three quickly became an interesting subplot.
Everton continued to ratchet up the tempo and it was they who enjoyed the pleasures of possession in the first half hour but finishing in the final third proved sporadic. Everton’s best chance arrived as Lucy Graham released Park with a lovely through ball into the box. Park took Buchanan on one-on-one but a well-timed tackle staunched the danger.
Chelsea created chances of their own on the counter, with Sam Kerr, Pernile Harder and Guro Reiten combining sweetly, but a lack of clinical edge left them continuing to chase, with Kerr, Harder, Reiten and Lauren James all misfiring. Chelsea’s best chances arrived from Guro Reiten crossing in from the left side and it was here that their quality finally told. Everton received an early warning when Reiten’s cross was palmed away by Brosnan shortly after the half-hour mark. James latched on and after taking a touch to steady herself, cannoning the crossbar.
Minutes later, it was another Reiten cross from the left that found a poorly-marked Harder at the back post. The Dane made no mistake with her downward header.
Chelsea began to bend the momentum in their direction, with Harder again firing over the crossbar after another cross in from the left, this time from Kerr. Chelsea could have been 3-0 up at the break but a lack of ruthlessness in front of goal gave Everton a lifeline heading into the break.
Everton flew out of the traps at the start of the half and deservedly seized an equaliser after a goal-mouth scramble from a corner that saw the ball bobble in off Buchanan.
Everton’s glee was short-lived, however, as Chelsea won a penalty after some slick passing that saw Reiten slip through on goal and Brosnan is adjudged to bring her down, despite protests from the Everton players. Harder coolly slotted home to add a second goal to her first start of the season and put Chelsea ahead before being subbed off on the hour.
Both sides continued to carve out chances for themselves, but it was Chelsea who slipped into an ascendancy, with substitute Johanna Rytting Kaneryd proving a handful for Everton’s defence as she saw one effort saved and another rattle the crossbar. James late effort was also dragged wide.
Everton continued to blister forward, but Park’s ambitious effort from the outside box sailed benignly over the crossbar and chances became flimsy and sparing as Chelsea's level rose.
The Everton fanbase was buoyed by additional seven minutes in hopes of clawing back a late leveller, but it was Chelsea who looked closest to scoring with Kaneryd and Bethany England mercilessly charging at Everton's defence.
Ultimately, it was Niamh Charles' delicate finish in the dying minutes of injury time who ultimately stuck the knife into any late Everton hopes.
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