The Women’s Super League (WSL) returned from its winter break this weekend, with several January transfer window arrivals making their debuts.
Chelsea extended their dominance at the top of the table while Manchester City dropped to fourth after a derby disaster. Arsenal and Manchester United are now locked in a race for second place as the relegation battle heats up.
Five new Everton players made their debuts in blue, with Tottenham Hotspur, Manchester City and Liverpool all welcoming new faces to their ranks.
Having moved to Merseyside from Manchester United, Hayley Ladd has been quick to make his debut for the Toffees since signing two weeks ago. The Welsh midfielder started for Brian Sorensen’s side and put in a great performance against Aston Villa at Walton Hall Park.
Veatriki Sarri’s late equalizer in the 89th minute was enough to rescue a point for Everton, keeping them five points above the relegation places. The equalizer came nine minutes after Ladd was withdrawn.
Playing time is exactly what Ladd needs ahead of Euro 2025 with Wales in the summer. Taking just eight WSL minutes at United in the first half of the season, the grass is already proving greener.
Replacing Ladd in the 80th minute, Louna Ribadeira’s brief 10-minute appearance at Walton Hall Park showed signs of a positive start to her Toffees career. Ribadeira’s efforts inside the penalty area allowed Sarri the opportunity to eventually score the equaliser.
The forward was recently recalled by parent club Chelsea from his loan spell with Paris FC, before putting pen to paper in Merseyside instead. The 20-year-old showed her fierceness with her short debut, signaling that there is much more to come for the young starlet.
On loan from Barcelona, Martina Fernandez was not forced to wait to receive her first start on Merseyside. The 20-year-old defender was tested against the formidable Rachel Daly, and struggled to get to the end of the battle as the England striker opened the scoring in the 31st minute.
Despite the early recognition, Fernandez bounced back quickly and produced an impressive WSL debut for the home fans.
Another Toffees player made her WSL debut when Kelly Gago came off the bench for Toni Payne in the 54th minute against Villa.
The French forward put pen to paper after arriving from FC Nantes, where she spent one season, before moving to the English Premier League.
Sorensen was desperate to strengthen in the attacking areas after both Aurora Galli and Inma Gabarro suffered devastating ACL tears earlier in the season. Gago looks to be a great fit for a depleted side, and despite failing to get on the scoresheet against Villa, she’s just getting started.
The quintet of Everton debutants was completed by Emma Watson, who signed a loan deal from Manchester United for the rest of the 2024/25 season. The midfielder got his chance in the 54th minute, replacing Katja Snoejis in the center of the park.
Watson, 18, was Sorensen’s third signing of the transfer window and she will be hoping to get significant minutes under her belt before returning to Carrington in the summer.
As far as high-stakes debuts go, facing your old club just a week after your departure is sure to be the way to get your first gig. Lize Kop did just that, starting between the posts for Tottenham Hotspur against his former employers at Leicester City.
The Dutch goalkeeper left Lisice after struggling to win the number one shirt. Kop put in a solid performance at Brisbane Road as her former team-mate Janina Leitzig scored an own goal to give Spurs a home win.
The reliable shot-stopper will be an integral part of Roberto Vilahamn’s Tottenham side if they are to build on a positive 2023/24 campaign.
It was a debut that Rebecca Knaak will hardly forget as Man United celebrated in the derby over a desperate Cityzens at the Etihad Stadium. Defensive errors have been a major cause of concern for Gareth Taylor’s side, and Knaak is certainly not immune to the odd error.
Despite going 3-0 down early on, City managed to pull two goals back before half-time. Knaak scored her first goal in sky blue, scoring City’s second of the night.
Hoping to replace captain Alex Greenwood in her absence through injury, City secured Knaak’s signature from Sweden’s FC Rosengard on the opening day of the transfer window. The goal-scoring defender lived up to his name on his debut for the team, but left a lot to be desired defensively.
Sam Kerr made her Liverpool debut on Friday night, starting her first game for Matt Beard’s side. The Reds celebrated on that occasion, winning 2-1 over Brighton at home.
The midfielder will spend the rest of the season on Merseyside after signing on loan from Frauen-Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich. The Scotland international has struggled to break into Alexander Straus’ starting eleven and will be hoping her time in the WSL will send her on the right track in her development.
Liverpool will certainly benefit from Kerr’s arrival, as the 25-year-old provides real control and composure in the center of the park.
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