Brian Sørensen addresses Everton’s dip in form since emphatic derby day win
Everton Women are experiencing a tough dip in form despite an emphatic win on their 2025/26 opener. Winless in four matches across both the Barclays Women’s Super League and Subway Women’s League Cup, the squad face several challenges as they aim to regroup and make their mark at Goodison Park.
Brian Sørensen addressed the media and spoke about the learning curves his squad faced in recent weeks, alongside a touching tribute to Matt Beard, following his sudden passing.
Tribute to Matt Beard
The build up to upcoming fixtures has been overshadowed by the sudden passing of Matt Beard, a three-time WSL title winner (2 WSL titles and 1 WSL Championship). He is one of the most respected figures in the women’s game, and this legacy will live on beyond his passing.
Sørensen admitted the news came as a shock to him and his squad:
“Of course, it was devastating. My condolences go out to Matt’s family. We have a couple of players who worked quite a lot under Matt and of course we were all hurt, but we got someone in to help and talk to the ones who needed.”
There was a close relationship between Sørensen and Beard, which made the news even harder to comprehend. The Everton coach revealed that Beard had made plans to visit Everton’s training and see the club’s new stadium in the near future:
“I’ve been speaking a lot with Matt lately because he’s a good friend. He’s a big Evertonian and wanted to go into the new stadium, so I was helping with a couple of tickets.”
Regarding his legacy in the women’s game, Sørensen spoke about his respect for this and Beard’s presence and importance since he first became involved with women’s football:
“The biggest thing I can say about him is when I sometimes say about teams, I say Matt Beard would be proud, but that’s because he’s able to organise a defence and so on. That speaks volumes in terms of how big of an impact he had on the game. He’s been in it for so long, since I joined the women’s game 25 years ago. Matt was starting his career at that time, so even when I’ve been in Denmark, I always knew who Matt Beard was, and I think that shows how respected he was.”
Beard’s career spanned over two decades, with stints at Chelsea, West Ham, Liverpool, Boston Breakers and Bristol City, among others. His impact, Sørensen stressed, will not be forgotten:
“He’s made a huge impact on the women’s game. We’re devastated – it’s a tragedy, a big tragedy.”
Team News
Currently Everton face the absence of first choice goalkeeper, Courtney Brosnan, and French forward, Kelly Gago. Sidelined with a knee injury for Brosnan, and concussion protocol for Gago, this weakens the squad as they aim to push up the table.
In other news, all other players remain fit and available for selection. The environment in training has been determined and positive: the Toffees are not willing to give up their chances of three points lightly.
Learning curves
The Toffees suffered a tough loss midweek in the League Cup against Manchester City. Sørensen took some learning curves from the match, which provided him with more of an insight into his squad:
“It was good learning from us against City. The result didn’t go our way, but if you look at the chances we created, we could have scored much more. Defensively we were solid for a long period of time. There were these little lapses in concentration that they took advantage of, but overall, I was happy with the progress. It was a good test and good learning for us that we can definitely use for the weekend.”
Although the odds are always in City’s favour, Everton looked to gain something from the match. A consolation goal from Hikaru Kitagawa reminded the Toffees of their goalscoring ability and proved they are capable of finding the net in high pressure games.
On paper Manchester City are the toughest opposition in this cup group, as their other opponents play in the Barclays WSL 2: Nottingham Forest and Newcastle United. Sørensen believes the club still have a high chance of progression into the knockouts, as long as they remain grounded and focused on the task at hand.
The bigger picture
For Everton, their upcoming fixtures across all competitions will test their concentration, resilience and tactical discipline. Staying sharp and taking their chances will be key to regaining positive form. Sørensen is not focused on statistics, but instead is clear about what is required to get his team back on track:
“We know that we have to get 90 minutes plus right in terms of where we want to play and defend. Concentration wise, the effort needs to be there all the time.”
Despite an difficult introduction to their 2025/26 campaign in the WSL, the head coach instils belief in his squad and reassures that they will continue to graft hard to succeed:
“For me, every day is a new day and it’s an opportunity to go out there and be better.”