Liverpool 4- 1 Aston Villa

Aston Villa suffered their first defeat in the 2026/27 Players Cup as they were beaten 4-1 by Liverpool on Wednesday night.

Missy Bo Kearns gave visitors Villa the perfect start on Merseyside, finishing from close range inside five minutes against her former club.

However the hosts levelled on the 30 minute mark through captain Marie-Therese Hobinger's drive, before scoring three late second half goals to claim the points.

The Villans will be looking to respond when they welcome rivals Birmingham City to Villa Park in the Women's Super League on Sunday (ko 2pm).

The drama of derby day at Villa Park has the additional excitement of a packed lineup of pre-match activities at the Sports Illustrated Warehouse as we kick off our 30th anniversary celebrations.

A variety of tickets options are still available to purchase here.

With the fixture list continuing at a frantic pace, interim head coach Brian Sørensen made wholesale changes from the narrow 1-0 defeat to Manchester United on Sunday. 

Lynn Wilms took over the armband in the absence of team captain Anna Patten, joining Miri Taylor at centre half.

Meanwhile Mia McAulay and Rachel Maltby also came into the back line, and previous cup goalscorers Georgia Mullett and Lily Murphy started in attack.

It was a lively start to proceedings at a chilly St Helens Stadium, with both sides looking to hit the front early.

Liverpool's Mao Itamura scuffed wide inside three minutes in an early warning shot by the home side, though Villa responded emphatically by netting the opener.

It came from the right foot of former Reds midfielder Kearns, who timed her back post run perfectly just two minutes later to convert Murphy's driven cross.

Akane Okuma was soon called into action to protect the Villa lead as Liverpool searched to make quick amends.

She dived low to smother Mia Enderby's effort after the winger had broken the offisde trap, before stretching to full height to catch Marie-Therese Hobinger's long range free kick before it could nestle inside the upright.

The home side continued to command the lion's share of possession, yet Villa maintained a constant threat on the break. 

Mullett's strong hold up play led to an opportunity for Kearns to double her tally in the 24th minute, though her powerful drive was turned around the near post by Faye Kirby.

As the clock ticked into the half hour, Liverpool forced the equaliser. A goalmouth scramble fell to the feet of Hobinger, who fired low across goal into the far corner.

The teams continued to trade chances but neither was able to land a telling blow before the interval. 

Alice Bergstrom's speculative long range shot was blocked on the edge of the area before it could trouble Okuma.

Then another dangerous forward dart from Mullett got her beyond the Reds back line, however she was unable to finish from an acute angle after rounding keeper Kirby as the score remained locked at 1-1.

Both teams came out with renewed vigour after the break, though Villa had the better of the early second half chances.

Rachel Maltby sent a wonderful ball down the left to set Murphy running in behind in the 48th minute, but the England U23's international curled wide of the far post. 

Opposite winger Mia McAulay set off on a marauding moments later, though the attack ended in similar fashion as her shot curled behind.

At the other end Hobinger tested Okuma once more from a long range set piece, but the Japan international proved wise to it once again to tip over the crossbar.

The encounter continued to flow end to end as both teams searched for a winner. 

Sørensen and opposite number Gareth Taylor called on reinforcements off the bench, with neither content to settle for a point.

One of those introductees Beata Olsson shot just wide of the bottom corner for the hosts, while Lucia Kendall was denied a penalty for Villa.

The England midfielder had picked up shooting space on the edge of the box in the 69th minute, though she was upended from behind before her strike could connect.

Frustratingly for the away side their appeals went unanswered.

A short while later Liverpool completed the turnaround as another substitute, Cornelia Kapocs, picked out the bottom corner from the edge of the area.

Then as Villa looked to get back on level terms, Liverpool pressed home their advantage with two further goals.

Having spurned an earlier opportunity, Olsson headed in the third in the 85th minute, then returned to net her brace with a low finish in the 89th to condemn the vistors to back-to-back defeats for the first time this season.

Nevertheless, Villa have a huge opportunity to bounce back on Sunday, when they take on Second City rivals Birmingham City in the Women's Super League (ko 2pm).