Matt Beard Discusses Chelsea’s Strength, Liverpool’s Season Points, and Club Ambition

Liverpool manager Matt Beard addressed the media in advance of Sunday’s Women’s Super League match against Chelsea, scheduled for a 12:30 GMT kick-off. Below are the main points from his press conference: Lucy Parry will be unavailable for the game due to “her Achilles has flared up again.” Fuka Nagano’s participation is “50-50” as she continues her recovery from an ankle injury. Beard noted that Chelsea’s identity under Sonia Bompastor is “really starting to show,” particularly following their decisive 5-0 victory over Everton. He highlighted the significant boost provided by the return of Liverpool defender Grace Fisk last week and commended Taylor Hinds’ performance. Beard stated that Chelsea remains “the team to beat,” attributing this to their strong start under Bompastor and summer investments that have “made them even stronger.” He acknowledged that the team monitors the WSL table to ensure they stay competitive with the leading group, but emphasized that their current league position is not the ‘be-all and end-all’. Reflecting on their season to date, Beard commented: “I think we’re a little bit behind points-wise, definitely. But if you look at last year, there were games we won where we probably weren’t expected to win. It all evens itself out. We are an ambitious team and club – but things just take a little bit of time.”