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Everton made the perfect start to life under interim head coach Scott Phelan At a glance Everton win first WSL match under interim head coach Scott Phelan Inma Gabarro scores first goal for club London City Lionesses punished for host of missed chances Toffees enjoy first back-to-back wins since December 2023 PLAYER RATINGS Inma Gabarro scored her first Everton goal as they beat London City Lionesses to win their first Women's Super League match under interim head coach Scott Phelan. The Toffees, who sacked Brian Sorensen earlier this week, upset the formbook after the hosts dominated the first half and looked set to break the deadlock in the second. Gabarro's 62nd-minute effort proved the difference, with the Spaniard back at the club after being recalled in January from a loan spell with Sevilla. Nicole Momiki pounced on a loose ball from London City defender Wassa Sangare and threaded it through to Gabarro to fire into the roof of the net. Freya Godfrey and Jana Fernandez were among those to miss good chances for the home side, who remain in sixth spot despite a disappointing defeat. Everton, crucially, moved five points clear of bottom side Leicester City. From the start of the match, London City took control and Everton were hanging on. Fernandez had a low strike from distance which Courtney Brosnan got down well to save. By 37 minutes, the hosts had 10 corners and Alanna Kennedy's header from one of them looked to be going in, but Everton defender Ruby Mace headed over from very close range. From the resulting corner, a glancing header from Grace Geyoro struck the post. Brosnan was kept busy in the visiting goal and made another superb stop to push over Godfrey's header from Saki Kumagai's cross. Republic of Ireland international keeper Brosnan made her best save before her side took the lead, stopping Godfrey's curling shot that was heading into the top corner. While London City have been impressive in their debut WSL campaign, they are yet to win a match when conceding the opening goal at home, losing on all four occasions. Following the sacking of Sorensen after Everton's first home win of the season, Phelan was handed a tough test at London City for his first game in temporary charge. However, his side dug in and scored against the run of play to win back-to-back games for the first time in over two years. They were lifted in a troubled week by influential midfielder Honoka Hayashi signing a new contract with the club until the end of June 2027. And this victory will provide another boost in their fight to avoid relegation. Everton didn't have a shot on target until the 52nd minute but were defensively well organised and Brosnan dependable in goal. The Toffees are yet to lose away from home this season when they have scored the opening goal (W2, D2) and that ability to hold on to a lead proved decisive once more. Everton go in search of their second consecutive win at Goodison Park when they host West Ham on Sunday, 15 February (12: 00 GMT) while London City visit second-placed Manchester United at the same time. After the opportunity to rate players has closed, the score displayed represents the average from all the submissions by BBC Sport users. Head here to get involved Get the latest WSL news on our dedicated page Comments can not be loaded To load Comments you need to enable Java Script in your browser Last Updated 8th February 2026 at 15: 33 Please Note: All times UK. Tables are subject to change. The BBC is not responsible for any changes that may be made. Manager: Eder Maestre Formation: 4 - 2 - 3 - 1 Manager: Scott Phelan Formation: 4 - 2 - 3 - 1 Manager: Eder Maestre Formation: 4 - 2 - 3 - 1 Manager: Scott Phelan Formation: 4 - 2 - 3 - 1 Women's Super League All competitions All competitions All competitions Match ends, London City Lionesses 0, Everton Women 1. Second Half ends, London City Lionesses 0, Everton Women 1. Foul by Jana Fernández (London City Lionesses). Hikaru Kitagawa (Everton Women) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Attempt blocked. Zara Kramzar (Everton Women) right footed shot from the right side of the box is blocked. Assisted by Inma Gabarro. Corner, Everton Women. Conceded by Wassa Sangaré. Fourth official has announced 4 minutes of added time. Foul by María Pérez (London City Lionesses). Zara Kramzar (Everton Women) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Attempt missed. Honoka Hayashi (Everton Women) left footed shot from the centre of the box is too high. Attempt blocked. Ornella Vignola (Everton Women) right footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Hannah Blundell with a cross. Jana Fernández (London City Lionesses) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Foul by Jana Fernández (London City Lionesses). Ornella Vignola (Everton Women) wins a free kick on the left wing. Wassa Sangaré (London City Lionesses) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul. Foul by Wassa Sangaré (London City Lionesses). Inma Gabarro (Everton Women) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Corner, London City Lionesses. Conceded by Honoka Hayashi. Foul by Freya Godfrey (London City Lionesses). Inma Gabarro (Everton Women) wins a free kick in the defensive half. Copyright © 2026 BBC. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.