Arsenal would be well advised not to take the Championship leaders lightly when the sides meet in the FA Cup on Sunday
Rachael Laws is always diligent about doing her revision. Liverpool’s goalkeeper routinely studies video clips of future opponents, reminding herself of a striker’s little idiosyncrasies, a penalty-taker’s quirks and whether a goalscoring midfielder favours their left foot or their right.
Yet when it comes to preparing for Sunday’s FA Cup tie at home to Arsenal, Laws knows homework can take Matt Beard’s side only so far. “They ooze class from back to front,” she says. “The players on their bench would be automatic starters in most WSL teams. We’ve been watching clips of them this week but it isn’t just about stopping Vivianne Miedema, there’s Kim Little, Nikita Parris, Beth Mead, Jordan Nobbs …” Even so, the Women’s Super League leaders would be unwise to underestimate a Liverpool side 10 points clear at the top of the Championship and coached by the manager who led them to successive WSL titles in 2013 and 2014.