Scott Phelan still “Laying the Foundations” ahead of Everton’s trip to North London
Scott Phelan emphasised the importance of “consistency”, continuing their focus and professionalism heading into their final away game of the season against Arsenal on Wednesday.
Taking over as interim head coach after the departure of long term boss Brian Sørensen, Phelan led the Toffee’s to their first back-to-back wins in the Barclays Women’s Super League against Aston Villa and London City Lionesses in his opening two outings. A win against Tottenham Hotspurs sandwiched between four defeats in a tough block is how the Liverpool side stand heading to The Emirates Stadium for a rearranged fixture due to the Gunners UWCL commitments.
Everton have seen some good moments against Arsenal in recent years, a 0-0 defeat on the N7 turf in the last WSL campaign was a boost for the team against a top side.
The reverse fixture was a tough 3-1 loss at Goodison Park in December, off the back of a season-defining win against 6 in a row WSL champions Chelsea. After Hayashi got the game back level in the 13th minute following Katie McCabe's opener, Russo took the lead again just 4 minutes later and a wonder goal by Olivia Smith in the dying moments sealed a North London victory.
Everton are confirmed to finish in the middle of the park heading into the final two matches against Arsenal and then relegation contenders Leicester at home on the final day.
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A very sparse run of games sees Everton relatively unscathed injury wise, since the international break they have played one game, whilst Arsenal have played five. Dutch International Karen Holmgaard Inma Gaarbo both sustained ACL injuries earlier in the season, it’s the Spain international's second ACL injury since joining the club in 2024. The Toffee’s carry a few injuries on since the recent international break, center-back Rion Ishikawa had to withdraw from Japan’s Asian Cup squad and her injury is still being assessed. Ruby Mace, who missed the last game against Chelsea due to yellow card suspension, returns to the squad against the Gunners.
Ruby Mace was nominated for WSL player of the season for her constant presence in the defense throughout the blues campaign in her first season at the club. The 22 year old is an Arsenal Academy graduate, having arrived from a season at Leicester City in the summer on a club record fee, also previously running out at Manchester City.
Phelan praised Mace’s ability to add “enthusiasm and tenacity to the game … she has been brilliant since I have come in and we hope it can be a special night for her.”
Life long Evertonian Megan Finnigan hasn’t played a game since she suffered an ACL injury in January 2025. The club’s captain had to have another surgery in October 2025 to further repair her injury and is still not in match contention. With 18 months out and a pride and passion for her childhood club missed in the defense, there has been some progress with her recovery.
“We won’t see her before the end of the season. Her stage of rehab is that she is back on the pitch with the rest of the group but heavily modified and a lot of non-contact but it’s nice to be around the girls again that helps physically and psychologically, that’s a big boost for her. It’s been nice to have another voice around the group, someone that leads by example. Hopefully this period of rehab can go smoothly and we can continue to push her a bit further as the weeks go on.
The rehab pitch where she trains is actually right next to ours, so every day she is hearing the noise and seeing the girls be competitive with one another and she has been in isolation for most of it. Psychologically it can give her a boost for the next stage of her rehab, she can get fitter and stronger and hopefully we can see her back sooner rather than later.”
The divide between top and bottom of the WSL table
When asked about the divide between clubs across the WSL, Phelan highlighted the importance of consistency:
“We try to be as consistent as possible, regardless of the opponent at the top of the league or bottom of the league. We are trying to show behaviours and things in our game that we expect Everton teams to do anyway.
We respect that the last block of games have been a tough one, we’ve had Chelsea, Man United away, Tottenham away, so we know the level will be tough but that doesn’t mean we can’t compete and take part in the game, that’s what we want to try and do. I think Brighton have shown that in the last few weeks, they have been really good against the stronger opponents, why not do that on Wednesday night?”
Maintaining motivation towards the end on the season
On keeping the team motivated in the second half of the season, batting away any relegation concerns when there is no longer anything to play for Phelan wanted to emphasise that the attitude is business-as-usual heading into the final two games.
“We are professionals and they should be motivated regardless, we are representing a fantastic club and it doesn't matter what stage of the season it is, we'd expect Everton players to give 100% and that’s what we want to see in the next two.
In terms of targets, there are certain things we want our team to produce day in day out, but we want to finish above where we finished last season [in the 2024/2025 season they ended with 24 points, Everton currently sit on 20 with a possible 6 still to claim]. We are just focused on how we can come out in these next two fixtures and finish positively.”
Summer transfer targets and interim manager role
Regarding the summer transfer window which has been a massive talking point heading into what looks to be a very thrilling change of the guard at a lot of WSL teams, will Everton be looking to have an overhaul this summer?
“We haven't considered that yet, I imagine there would be but how many? I don't know. That's only natural, every team is going through the same process, our focus has been on what the next two games are going to bring.”
Her Game Her Way asked about his role as Interim Manager: how do the squad approach going into the final games with uncertainty about the future?
“It’s the same way we approached the first game against London City [Lionesses], we are here to do our best and support the players and give them the best opportunity throughout the coaching week to perform really well in the next two games. We haven't been distracted or let our focus slip on any coaching decisions. It’s been the way we have worked since day one and that will carry through until the final whistle against Leicester on Saturday."
Learnings ahead of Arsenal
The Toffee’s last game at Chelsea was 1-1 at half time, with the second half concluding with a 4-1 defeat, Phelan reflected on the learnings to take into their North London match.
“We had a chance at 1-1 that hit the crossbar and then within 8 minutes we were 3-1 down. The best teams will punish you at any opportunity, which makes a tough game an even more uphill challenge. When our chances arrive we have to make the most of them and hope that when Arsenal’s chances arrive they won’t be so successful.”
Aren't you entertained? Everton’s move to Goodison Park this season from a 2,200 capacity Walton Hall Park has allowed the club to build the foundations around attendances and fan engagement in their new home. With mid-table teams increasingly creating incredible contests against the top four, pushing the league's competitiveness, Everton are increasingly playing football that inspires a crowd.
“It’s really important, the fans expect a certain style of play and we always try to be a team with purpose and direction about our game. We have to have really good energy levels and aggression about our game because that's how Everton teams play and the best Everton teams have that quality. Brighton have been really good and have been able to play in their way and we hope that we can start to lay the foundations around how an Everton team should look in a successful way.”
Will the Toffee’s be able to upset Arsenal’s top two hopes and cement themselves as league disruptors, ending their season on a high? Everton will travel to Arsenal for a night under the lights on Wednesday the 13th of May for a 7pm kick off.