Football Bet of the Day: Merseyside derby offers value in WSL

The Sunday of an international break weekend can sometimes feel a little slow, but I’m here to inject a bit of life into your Sunday afternoon. For our Football Bet of the Day then, I’m swerving away from the men’s action and instead focusing on the returning Women’s Super League.

We’ve got a Merseyside Derby at Anfield (12:00, Sky Sports Main Event) that has caught the attention, and below you can find Sunday’s Football Bet of the Day. 

Football Odds

Today's Football Fixtures

This derby brings a lot of intrigue as always, but potentially even more so given the summer Liverpool have had. They have, after a lengthy recruitment process, plumped for Gareth Taylor to come in as their new head coach after the departure of Matt Beard.

Fans of the WSL will be more than familiar with his work, as he spent five years at Manchester City. That spell has to be seen as a success given City only lost the title on goal difference in 2023/24 and finished second in 2020/21 as they lost just once in the league. Ultimately he couldn’t overhaul Chelsea, but he did win an FA Cup and a League Cup along the way.

A smart appointment then it seems for Liverpool, but they are a side that are trying to find their way. They shocked the WSL by finishing fourth in 2024, before dropping to seventh last term. They boast a fine training ground and will get the benefit of playing a handful of games, including this one, at Anfield - but there is a slight concern about their squad right now. 

The investment has been missing over the last couple of seasons while Olivia Smith was sold this summer for a then world-record fee of £1m. That money is yet to be significantly reinvested into the playing squad and with the window closing on Thursday, they are running out of time. 

I can’t see much improvement on seventh from Liverpool as things stand, while their opening day opponents Everton are riding the crest of a wave. They were in danger over the first half of last season, and it took until mid-November for them to get their first league win, and ironically it came over Liverpool.

Liverpool vs Everton Odds

The thin squad needed help and so it was a blessed relief when The Friedkin Group came in and took over the club. Since that point, it’s all been good from Everton’s perspective, and they were strong over the second half of the season - eventually finishing 14 points clear of danger. 

Unlike Liverpool, they’ve had a strong window, with three Japanese internationals – forward Yuka Momiki, full-back Hikaru Kitagawa and centre-back Rion Ishikawa all joining the club. When you consider Spain forward Inma Gabarro is returning from her long-term injury as well, things are looking bright.

I don’t think either of these teams will be challenging Chelsea for the title - far from it - but I think there’s value to be had in backing a draw in this opener. Liverpool boast more pedigree, but Everton are on the up, and so I can see them matching each other up at Anfield and canceling each other out. 

This should be an intriguing watch, and we will know a lot more following the opening weekend of the WSL. Our Football Bet of the Day is a draw in Liverpool vs Everton at 12/5.

Football Bet Of The Day from Betfred Insights.