Rosa Simkin (@rosatalksball) – 21/12/25
The 9-1 isn’t the story, it’s the symptom.
Liverpool Women’s 9 – 1 defeat at home to Chelsea in the League Cup quarter final this afternoon was shocking as a scoreline, but revealing in context. This was not a freak result produced by an off-day or tactical miscalculation; it was the inevitable endpoint of a season so far defined by imbalance, fragility and under-investment.
Chelsea exposed Liverpool’s lack of depth, particularly in defensive transition and wide areas, but the gulf between the sides was less about coaching or effort and more about resources and squad construction. One team rotated international-quality players. The other struggled to field a competitive bench.
The scoreboard told the truth.
Liverpool sit last on three points in the WSL, with no wins from their 11 games played, and now knocked out of the League Cup. That position is not an anomaly; it aligns with virtually every underlying indicator: limited attacking output, heavy reliance on a small core of players and a minimal capacity to rotate during congested periods.
Relegation battles are rarely caused by one catastrophic defeat. They are built slowly, through months of marginal losses, injuries unabsorbed, and recruitment gaps left unfilled.
All of this sees Liverpool being pushed back towards a model that previously ended in relegation.
Déjà Vu: The Structural Parallels with Relegation
Liverpool’s previous relegation from the WSL in 2020 was widely understood as a consequence of institutional neglect as opposed to footballing incompetence, and the warning signs then were clear: failure to invest at the pace of the league, dependence on bargain recruitment, lack of long-term squad planning and playing catch-up while rivals accelerated.
In 2021, the side reacted to their failures, reappointing Matt Beard as manager following spells elsewhere. Beard had previously led the side to consecutive WSL titles in 2013 & 2014, and his reapointment highlighted Liverpool’s mission to be promoted back to the top flight, which they achieved in 2022.
However, the 2025/26 season so far carries the same DNA as 2020. Whilst the league has professionalised rapidly, tactically, physically and financially, Liverpool appears stuck in a structure operating as though survival alone is their target. The league, however, has moved beyond that.
A Season of Loss
Any assessment of Liverpool’s shortcomings this season must be set against a backdrop of profound loss. In September, the club was deeply affected by the sudden passing of former manager Matt Beard, a central figure in Liverpool Women’s recent history. The squad was then dealt a further blow in October with the death of kitman Jonathan Humble, a hugely respected and valued member of the backroom staff. The tragic loss of two individuals so closely woven into the fabric of the club inevitably had a destabilising effect on an already fragile environment.
At the same time, while the human impact of such circumstances must be acknowledged, it cannot reasonably be asked to account for every structural or sporting shortcoming that has emerged over the course of the season.
Recruitment Failures
The sale of Olivia Smith to Arsenal should have been transformative.
The forward was sold to the Gunners for a record £1m over the summer, giving the Reds an £800k profit from the £200k they spent on Smith in 2024. Her exit to Arsenal was quickly followed by vice-captain Taylor Hinds.
Selling a player for a world-record fee in the women’s game doesn’t just denote commercial success; it presents an opportunity to reset a squad cycle. In practical terms, that money could realistically fund:
- 3 to 5 WSL-ready starters.
- Significant wage increases to retain key players.
- Long-term depth to protect against injury crises.
Instead? The squad looks thinner than before.
Whilst the money will indeed be paid to the club in instalments from Arsenal, the question lies in whether the first team has been prioritised in a moment of vulnerability. This summer, Liverpool spent £415m on transfers for Arne Slot’s men’s team, after receiving £187m from selling players. They also earned over £170m in prize money after winning the Premier League. In that context, finding a million in time for summer recruitment for their women’s side, which they are guaranteed to get back, becomes a very different story.
Liverpool’s recruitment strategy over the season appeared to be reactionary, rather than directional. The appointment of new Head Coach Gareth Taylor depleted the majority of their summer budget, owing to contractual issues following his sacking at Manchester City in March. The tight turnaround between his appointment and the start of the new campaign saw the Reds scrambling to recruit players.
The signings the side made in time have failed to address the core weaknesses within the squad, resulting in a team that is struggling to press consistently, lacks game-changing options from the bench and lacks the required depth to operate at the highest standards. The loss of core players Sophie Roman Haug and Marie Hobinger to ACL injuries has further heightened the side’s weaknesses.
The League Has Changed – Liverpool Haven’t
Perhaps the most damning aspect of Liverpool’s sharp decline is that it is happening in a league where standards are rising in every other direction. Clubs in the mid-table are investing smarter, not just bigger. The gap is no longer between Chelsea and the rest – it is between clubs with coherent strategies, and those without.
Their 9-1 Cup defeat to Chelsea should not be dismissed as an inevitable mismatch; it should be treated as a crucial data point, one which confirms a deeper problem as to how Liverpool Women are operating in the modern game.
Relegation in the WSL is no longer down to fate; instead, it’s becoming a predictable outcome for clubs failing to evolve. Unless Liverpool answers the question of where the Olivia Smith money went over the January transfer window, history may not just be repeating itself.
Relegation may be waiting.
