Martina Fernandez has urged the Everton Women squad to use their 2-1 FA Cup defeat to Liverpool as motivation for the remainder of the campaign. The defender delivered a defiant message despite the disappointment of losing to their Merseyside rivals at St Helens Stadium on Sunday.

Everton crashed out of the FA Cup after a performance that fell well below the standards they have set in recent weeks. Liverpool dominated proceedings with Mia Enderby and Beata Olsson scoring before Jennifer Falk’s own goal gave the Toffees brief hope of a comeback.

This Hurts and Will Be Our Fuel

Fernandez thanked supporters for their backing and insisted the pain of derby defeat will drive Everton forward when they return to action. “The next game, when we come back from the international or the next derby, this hurts, this is like our fuel, and this will make sure we will give our everything,” the defender stated.

She added, “We have the best fans absolutely, and they are our number 12 player, so we need them more than ever. We need to keep pushing, and we have like three good results the last three weeks, so we need to stick to that also and keep working together with the fans.”

Tottenham Awaits After International Break

Everton face a challenging run of fixtures when the Women’s Super League resumes following the international break. Scott Phelan’s side travel to fifth placed Tottenham on March 15 before facing second placed Manchester United a week later.

They then get the opportunity to exact revenge on Liverpool in the league clash at Goodison Park on March 28. Everton sit eighth in the WSL table, having won their previous three league matches before this cup exit.

The Toffees were made to look second best by a Liverpool side sitting three places and seven points below them in the standings.

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Gareth Taylor has revealed that Mia Enderby believes her knee popped out of place in the injury that forced her off in Everton Women’s 2-1 loss to Liverpool Women. Enderby opened the scoring in Sunday’s FA Cup fifth round tie at BrewDog Stadium in a tight contest between the Merseyside rivals before suffering the nasty injury.

The 20 year old was in clear distress after colliding with Everton goalkeeper Courtney Brosnan while scoring the opening goal. She was taken off on a stretcher, although she did later appear on the bench with some crutches, which was a positive sign.

First Thing You Think About

Providing an update on Channel 4 after the match, Liverpool boss Taylor said, “I just spoke to her briefly then, and she said that it felt like her kneecap popped out of place. Nothing is great in the knee area, but the first thing you think about is what everyone thought. Hopefully, she seems to be OK.”

This is a worrying development for Liverpool, who cannot afford to lose Enderby for any length of time. The striker has been crucial for the Reds this season, and her goalscoring ability will be desperately missed if she faces a spell on the sidelines.

Controversial Goal Ends Everton Run

Beata Olsson, who came on for the injured Enderby, scored Liverpool’s second before Jennifer Falk’s own goal gave the Toffees hope. The game ultimately ended in disappointment for Scott Phelan’s side, with Everton claiming the goal was controversial.

Hikaru Kitagawa went closest to scoring for Everton as they chased a late equaliser against their rivals, but they ultimately did not do enough. Liverpool will join holders Chelsea, Birmingham City, Brighton, Arsenal, Manchester City, and Charlton Athletic in the quarter finals.

Everton Face Spurs Next

The Women’s Super League is taking a short hiatus, with this FA Cup clash giving fans their fix of action. Now that Everton are out of the competition, all eyes are on the WSL and a showdown with Tottenham on March 15.

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Everton Women are looking to secure their second derby win of the season as they face Liverpool in the fifth round of the FA Cup at Anfield on Sunday. The Toffees have picked up form recently with Scott Phelan overseeing successive wins against London City Lionesses and West Ham since taking charge at the top of the month.

Everton sit eighth in the Women’s Super League, with the league now on hold until March 15. With league action paused, Phelan’s side are back in action this weekend as they look to repeat their 4-1 opening day victory over their Merseyside rivals and secure a quarter final spot.

Six Everton Players to Miss Derby

Confirming no new injury news at his pre match press conference, Everton’s injury situation remains the same as it was ahead of last week’s win against West Ham. Katja Snoeijs remains sidelined after rolling her ankle against Manchester City in January. The Dutch forward was ruled out for four to six weeks and has been in a protective boot since.

Antionette Payne is also expected to miss out after picking up a muscle injury at the end of January. Club captain Megan Finnigan continues her recovery from knee surgery after undergoing an operation back in October. Lucy Hope will not feature either, having announced last summer that she is expecting a child.

Karen Holmgaard remains out after suffering a knee injury in January that didn’t look good at the time. Elise Stenevik completes the list of absentees, having been out since November with a severe hamstring injury.

Phelan Targeting Quarter Final Spot

Boss Phelan has made it clear that his side’s focus remains firmly on victory regardless of the competition. “We want to win, whether it’s league or cup. The focus on our group is to perform and represent the club in a way that we expect. We want to qualify for the next round of this competition.”

Liverpool has eight players unavailable, including Sam Kerr and Marie-Therese Hobinger.

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