FeatureFive memorable LFC Women games v Manchester City

The first of three fixtures at the stadium for Matt Beard’s side this season sees City visit for a 3pm BST kick-off on Sunday (October 13).

• Get your tickets for Sunday's game here - £10 for adults, £4 for juniors

The Reds head in to the Barclays Women’s Super League encounter having recorded a dramatic 3-2 victory at Tottenham Hotspur last weekend.

Here, we go back in time to relive five standout contests versus next opponents City over the years…

November 2023 - Liverpool 3-4 Manchester City - League Cup

Last season’s League Cup encounter between the teams was a verified thriller, and certainly gave this reporter’s fingers a workout on the keyboard that night.

Liverpool would, ultimately, end up on the wrong side of a 4-3 scoreline at Prenton Park but the amount of entertainment on show during the evening offset the final result to some degree for those in attendance.

After City took the lead in the first half, efforts either side of the interval from Gemma Bonner and Natasha Flint saw the Reds reverse the momentum and get in front.

Three goals in response by the visitors proved decisive - including a Chloe Kelly double - though Mia Enderby went on to strike with a memorable moment of ingenuity that later won Liverpool’s Goal of the Season award, looping the ball over her marker to run clear and swipe in a finish.

May 2023 - Liverpool 2-1 Manchester City - WSL

Matt Beard’s side’s home form underpinned the consolidation of their WSL status during the first season back in the top flight following promotion in 2022.

There were six wins from 11 outings on their own turf, with the last this hard-fought May success over the eventual fourth-placed finishers.

Natasha Dowie capitalised on an opposition mistake to give Liverpool an early upper hand - the first goal of her second spell at the club - though Lauren Hemp equalised for the away side soon after.

But the Reds banked all three points as Emma Koivisto and Missy Bo Kearns combined to allow the latter to roll in a low finish, two minutes into the second half, that separated them henceforth.

May 2018 - Liverpool 1-0 Manchester City - WSL

City were comfortably the division’s leading scorers in the 2017-18 season, but they could find no way past Scott Rogers’ Liverpool on this spring evening in Chester.

The game was only 10 minutes old when the home side established a lead, with on-loan Bethany England meeting Alex Greenwood’s cross with a header past the City goalkeeper.

The visitors mounted significant pressure for the remainder of the contest, with Greenwood notably having to make one goalline clearance, but drew a rare blank and the Reds held firm.

“We put absolutely everything into that game, I couldn’t be prouder of the team,” said England post-match. “We’ve beaten a team that looked untouchable - it just shows what you can achieve when you work hard and stick to your game plan.”

April 2015 - Liverpool 2-1 Manchester City - WSL

Back-to-back WSL champions in 2013 and 2014, Liverpool had made a stuttering start to their title defence in the 2015 campaign, losing two of their opening three fixtures.

That inconsistency would prevent them from lifting a third successive championship, but not from getting the better of City on this particular evening in Widnes.

Asisat Oshoala handed the Reds a 10th-minute lead, though the visitors replied in the early stages of the second half through Nikita Parris to leave it delicately poised.

The balance soon swung back in Liverpool’s favour, however, as recent signing Oshoala turned provider with a cross that Line Smorsgard guided home to give Beard’s charges victory.

April 2014 - Liverpool 1-0 Manchester City - WSL

The Reds made a winning start to what would prove to be a successful WSL title defence as City contested their first fixture in the top flight a decade ago.

A Liverpool XI that contained current centre-back Bonner created numerous chances on the evening but were finding no way through against the newcomers.

That changed on 71 minutes, however, as Lucy Bronze’s pass sent Dowie bearing down on goal and the prolific striker made no mistake.

“Overall I’m pleased,” declared Beard. “We’ve had bad injuries in pre-season, which has affected the squad, so for us it means we can play with no pressure and just enjoy it.”

Prescient words from the boss as his team would go on to lift the championship for the second consecutive year later in 2014.

• Get your tickets for Sunday's game here - £10 for adults, £4 for juniors