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SUNDAY 17 DEC 2023 | 1PM KO | OFFICIAL DIGITAL PROGRAMME

v MANCHESTER CITY

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Official Matchday Programme

MANAGER’S NOTES

BRIAN SORENSEN

Good afternoon, Evertonians. Welcome to Walton Hall Park for our match against Manchester City. A difficult task awaits us today but it’s one we are ready for. We welcome Gareth Taylor’s side who are in excellent form, and I regard City as one of the best in the country. Most would consider us underdogs today, but we have seen already this season that our girls relish a challenge. Our squad is young, but with that comes courage and belief, while the more experienced players in our group help to guide them. Not only as players, but as people I am impressed with the way they conduct themselves on and off the pitch. They represent the core values of our club and I hope our supporters recognise this as well. We played City twice in the summer and once in the League Cup, and in all three matches we delivered highly competitive performances. This match will be different due to many factors but we will look to take something from the game. Our squad is suffering of late with injuries and I must applaud the effort of those involved in recent weeks for elevating their performances in response to that. Key players are missing for us; however, the level of our performance has not been impacted and I am confident those who come in today will deliver

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another excellent display against a strong side. I am incredibly proud of the group, especially with our wins away to Aston Villa and West Ham United, two extremely tough places to go. After a difficult start to the season, we are only a point off our tally at the end of 2022. We have an opportunity to match that this afternoon or even exceed it, and the prospect of those points coming against an elite side would make it even more rewarding for us. These are my last notes of 2023 and as I reflect on the year I am left with an overwhelming sense of pride. A lot has been thrown at our club this year, but it is not something I complain about. I take that as challenge. We have a lot of young players. That excites me. We have quality players. That excites me, too. The future is bright for our group and I cannot wait to see what 2024 brings. On behalf of myself, my staff and players, thank you for your outstanding support this year. We hope you have a lovely Christmas, and we will see you next year. Enjoy the game, Brian

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Official Matchday Programme

CAPTAIN'S NOTES

MEGAN FINNIGAN Good afternoon and welcome back to Walton Hall Park for our match against Manchester City. Today’s opposition are a phenomenal team. They have a squad who are very familiar with each other, a team who have improved year on year. City are comfortable on the ball – possibly the best in the league, in my opinion – so we know it is a big challenge for us today.

are more than capable of hurting these teams. As a group, we need to believe that we can compete, to score, and to take a result today.

We played them twice in pre-season and of course in the League Cup earlier this season, too, and while we lost all three, we did so narrowly and scored in every game.

We also say goodbye to Nicoline Sorensen this afternoon who is set to retire from professional football.

They are a good side, but I also see them as a team that we can hurt when we are on our game.

Nico is an unbelievable person, and she will be a big miss for us as a player and person. She is one of the nicest people I have ever met, and the team wishes her well in her next adventure.

They have threats that we absolutely need to be aware of but there is no reason why we cannot go out and win today’s game. We want to beat one of the so-called ‘top four’ sides and while that has not happened yet for us, the drive for us to achieve that is just as strong. Looking back on the Chelsea game, we lost 3-0 but during the first half I thought we were unbelievable. I know this group is capable of doing it, but it is about doing so over 90 minutes, staying concentrated and not letting the game get away from you. The goals we have conceded this season have mainly come from a lapse of concentration. These goals are preventable. However, against a side like City there is no margin for error so we must be focused from the first whistle until the last. I expect City will have a lot of the ball this afternoon, so we need to manage our energy levels and be comfortable in how we want to play, too. We have created so many chances already this season, many of which we have not converted. We need to improve on that, but it shows that we evertonfc.com

As I reflect on 2023, it has been a whirlwind of a year, but a highlight is, of course, being named captain of this amazing football club. It is the highest honour and to cap it off with a goal at Anfield a few weeks later made it that much sweeter. I feel I have grown a lot as a person and dealt with things away from football. Having that experience has allowed me to take on this leadership role and I am proud of myself for that. As a team, I feel we are making really good progress and the signings we made in the summer have been excellent. I genuinely love coming into Finch Farm every day to work alongside these players and our staff. I love this football club and hopefully in 2024 we can kick on. Thank you for your fantastic support this year, we wish you a Merry Christmas and happy new year when it comes. Meg 5

PLAYER PROFILES 1

COURTNEY

KATRINE

MEGAN

BROSNAN

VEJE

CAMPBELL

COUNTRY: REPUBLIC OF IRELAND POSITION: GOALKEEPER

COUNTRY: DENMARK POSITION: DEFENDER

COUNTRY: REPUBLIC OF IRELAND POSITION: DEFENDER

NATHALIE

CLARE

JUSTINE

BJORN

WHEELER

VANHAEVERMAET

COUNTRY: SWEDEN POSITION: DEFENDER

COUNTRY: AUSTRALIA POSITION: MIDFIELDER

COUNTRY: BELGIUM POSITION: MIDFIELDER

Official Matchday Programme

EVERTON 9

TONI

HANNA

EMMA

DUGGAN

BENNISON

BISSELL

COUNTRY: ENGLAND POSITION: FORWARD

COUNTRY: SWEDEN POSITION: MIDFIELDER

COUNTRY: ENGLAND POSITION: MIDFIELDER

EMILY

LIBBY

NICOLINE

RAMSEY

HART

SORENSEN

COUNTRY: ENGLAND POSITION: GOALKEEPER

COUNTRY: DENMARK POSITION: FORWARD

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PLAYER PROFILES 17

LUCY

MARTINA

HEATHER

HOPE

PIEMONTE

PAYNE

COUNTRY: SCOTLAND POSITION: MIDFIELDER

COUNTRY: ITALY POSITION: FORWARD

COUNTRY: REPUBLIC OF IRELAND POSITION: FORWARD

MEGAN

AURORA

SARA

FINNIGAN

GALLI

HOLMGAARD

COUNTRY: ENGLAND POSITION: DEFENDER

COUNTRY: ITALY POSITION: MIDFIELDER

COUNTRY: DENMARK POSITION: DEFENDER

Official Matchday Programme

EVERTON 25

KATJA

ELISE

KAREN

SNOEIJS

STENEVIK

HOLMGAARD

COUNTRY: NETHERLANDS POSITION: FORWARD

COUNTRY: NORWAY POSITION: DEFENDER

COUNTRY: DENMARK POSITION: MIDFIELDER

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ABBY

ANNIE

CLARKE

WILDING

COUNTRY: ENGLAND POSITION: FORWARD

COUNTRY: ENGLAND POSITION: DEFENDER 9

PLAYER PROFILES 41

ALYSSA

KAROLINE

AHERNE

OLESEN

COUNTRY: ENGLAND POSITION: MIDFIELDER

COUNTRY: DENMARK POSITION: MIDFIELDER

EVERTON

Official Matchday Programme

THE PERFECT WAY FOR GIRLS AGED 5-11 TO GET INVOLVED IN FOOTBALL RE SCAN HE ORE M T U O TO FIND

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PLAYER PROFILES 1

ELLIE ROEBUCK

DEMI STOKES

LAIA ALEIXANDRI

ALEX GREENWOOD

Goalkeeper

Defender

STEPH HOUGHTON

LAURA COOMBS

MARY FOWLER

CHLOE KELLY

Defender

Midfielder

Forward

12 11

DEYNA CASTELLANOS

LAUREN HEMP

FILIPPA ANGELDAHL

ESME MORGAN

Forward

Midfielder

Defender

Official Matchday Programme

MANCHESTER CITY 15

LEILA OUAHABI

JESS PARK

KERSTIN CASPARIJ

JILL ROORD

Defender

Forward

Defender

Midfielder

KHADIJA SHAW

SANDY MACIVER

YUI HASEGAWA

RUBY MACE

Forward

Goalkeeper

Midfielder

Defender

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ALANNA KENNEDY

KHIARA KEATING

JULIE BLAKSTAD

Defender

Goalkeeper

Midfielder

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EVERTON ONE - EVERTON TWO - EVERTONDIRECT.COM

Official Matchday Programme

Danish twins Karen and Sara Holmgaard believe the Everton squad can take confidence from their recent performances as they face Manchester City this afternoon. The pair combined for the Toffees’ winner against West Ham last weekend to make it back-to-back wins on the road. It was the second occasion twins have combined for a goal for Everton Women, after Kelly and Vicky Jones first achieved the feat in August 2013. Now back on home soil, the twins told the Official Everton Programme that the Blues must carry their momentum into today’s test. “I was really happy [to score last week],” Karen said. “It was a great cross from Sara, and all was left for me was to head it in. “Those three points were really important for us. “There were moments in the game that were tough, but we dealt with that and walk away with the three points and we can build on this.” evertonfc.com

In a tactical tweak, Sara took the decisive set-piece and was happy to provide a vital attacking contribution, while also helping to secure the Blues' second clean sheet of the campaign. “It wasn’t in our original plan for me to take set-pieces that day, but Brian shouted over for me to take the corner,” Sara said. “It’s not often I take them, but I’m glad it went well this time I did. “It means everything to us that we get a clean sheet too. “Every player locked it in and it’s a nice feeling to get the reward at the end of it.” It has been a difficult journey back from injury for Sara, who had endured a lengthy spell on the sidelines. Now back fit and playing some of her best football, Karen expressed her immense pride at her sister’s resilience. “I’m really proud of her,” Karen continued. “I’ve said this many times to her, but it’s been a tough road for Sara to get back and what a comeback she has made.

“Looking at the performances she has made, you wouldn’t have believed that she had been out for 10 months. “I’m really enjoying seeing her putting those performances in, and I hope I can return to full fitness soon too and hopefully play more together.” Sara continued: “We have a good connection with each other. “It’s nice that we’re able to show that and hopefully we’re both totally fit after Christmas [and play alongside each other more].” Everton are just a point off their tally at the end of 2022, and Sara hopes the squad can match or exceed that marker by the final whistle. Sara continued: “It’s going to be a tough game against City. “With our win on Sunday, you can see we are quite close to where we at this point last season. “I’m really excited for the game and hopefully we can take a positive result from it.”

HOW EVERTON IS CREATING A ‘FOOTBALL FAMILY FOR EVERYONE’

This month, Everton is celebrating five years of its award-winning equity and inclusion campaign, All Together Now. Since the initiative was established in 2018, staff, partners, Everton in the Community, Everton Free School and Everton Football College have been working to ensure that everybody who engages with the Club and its official charity feels safe and welcome, whatever their background and life experiences. As a result, the past five years have seen Everton celebrate plenty of firsts in its championing of equality and do all it can to live up to a commitment made at the launch of All Together Now to create ‘a football family for everyone’. The campaign’s latest milestone saw the launch of a bespoke merchandise range last month that promotes the values unpinning the Club’s approach to embedding and promoting equity and diversity; Respect, Celebrate, Empower. To build on what has already been achieved, net profits from the range will go towards helping Everton in the Community deliver equity and inclusion education and

awareness across its 60+ programmes. In March, Everton reiterated its commitment to the Her Game Too campaign when Men’s and Women’s Senior Team captains Seamus Coleman and Gabby George became the first players in the Premier League and Women’s Super League to sign up as official player advocates of the campaign. New Everton Women skipper Megan Finnigan has since pledged her support, too. That same month saw a crowd of 22,161 at Goodison Park for the first Barclays Women’s Super League Merseyside derby to be played at the stadium – a Club record attendance that was more than four times the previous best. In the build-up, Everton and Club partners facilitated various giveaways and experiences to encourage and celebrate female participation in sport and reward local schools and amateur teams for supporting the women’s game. Shortly before that, The People’s Place, the very first dedicated mental health and wellbeing facility connected to a football club, launched just a stone’s

throw from Goodison. The facility, officially opened by Evertonian and Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham, houses the charity’s 15 mental health projects and offers a wide array of clinical and non-clinical services. And, in September, the Blues and technical partner hummel collaborated to launch a limited edition ‘equality shirt’ - a campaign which saw members of Everton’s Men’s, Women’s and Amputee teams join supporters representing the diversity of the Blues’ global fanbase for the promotional photoshoot. The Club also continues to facilitate meaningful and regular engagement with the Everton Disabled Supporters’ Association (EDSA) around the experience for supporters on both matchdays and non-matchdays and accessibility plans for its future home on Liverpool's waterfront, while our commitment to EDI was also reflected in the Club being added to the Liverpool City Region’s inaugural Fair Employment Charter when it was announced in November last year.

Official Matchday Programme

Other highlights of All Together Now include: •

Everton winning the Kick It Out Promoting Inclusion Award at the 2021 Northwest Football Awards in recognition of All Together Now’s far-reaching impact.

•

Everton Women moving to a permanent new home at Walton Hall Park – making women’s football even more accessible in the heart of the city of Liverpool.

•

Everton becoming the first Premier League club to launch a kit using only players from its disability teams.

•

The Club being named a Stonewall Diversity Champion on the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia in May 2020.

•

Everton becoming a Living Wage Foundation Principal Partner, Stonewall Diversity Champion, a Disability Confident Leader, founding signatories of the FA’s Leadership Diversity Code, and the first football club in England to register as a breastfeeding friendly organisation.

•

Working with Her Game Too to conduct a

survey of female Everton supporters about their experiences of attending matchdays and introducing improved visibility of how to report incidents of harassment and abuse. •

Continued support of national and Premier League/BWSL wide campaigns, including Black History Month, International Women’s Day, No Room For Racism and Rainbow Laces.

For more highlights from five years of All Together Now or to shop the Respect, Celebrate, Empower range, visit evertonfc.com/AllTogetherNow

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WHERE

GREATNESS LIVES

WOMENSLEAGUES.THEFA.COM

Official Matchday Programme

UPCOMING HOME FIXTURES SUN 28 JAN | 1PM

Everton

Leicester City

West Ham

Aston Villa

Liverpool

Arsenal

Tottenham Hotspur

SUN 18 FEB | 1PM

Everton

SUN 17 MAR | 1PM

Everton

SUN 24 MAR | 1PM

Everton

SUN 28 APR | 1PM

Everton

SUN 5 MAY | 1PM

Everton

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KAREN HOLMGAARD WHAT INSP

IRES YOU BE

RE A GAME ? Good music be fore kick-off.

POST-MATCH CHEAT MEAL? Pizza! I love pizza and it’s a good meal after games.

DRESS CODE? enue? Celebration/party vhole team,

ith the w I’d love to celebrate w e out on the pitch! so we’d just celebrat

Everyone in suits.

Official Matchday Programme

HANGE? ONE RULEn C s. go harder into tackle

More lenient so we ca

ONE SPORT

G EVENT TO A football e AT TEN vent – may be a big mat D AFTERWARDS? ch or a cup final.

VIP GUEST? My sist er, Sara

wd to sing loudest? o cr e th r fo t an ch e n O n song! my ow That would have to be

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EVERTON

MANCHESTER CITY

Manager: Brian Sørensen

Manager: Gareth Taylor

Courtney Brosnan

Ellie Roebuck

Katrine Veje

Demi Stokes

Megan Campbell

Laia Aleixandri

Nathalie Bjorn

Alex Greenwood

Clare Wheeler

Steph Houghton

Justine Vanhaevermaet

Laura Coombs

Toni Duggan

Mary Fowler

Hanna Bennison

Chloe Kelly

Emma Bissell

Deyna Castellanos

Emily Ramsey

Lauren Hemp

Libby Hart

Filippa Angeldahl

Nicoline Sorensen

Esme Morgan

Lucy Hope

Leila Ouahabi

Martina Piemonte

Jess Park

Heather Payne

Kerstin Casparij

Megan Finnigan

Jill Roord

Aurora Galli

Khadija Shaw

Sara Holmgaard

Sandy MacIver

Katja Snoeijs

Yui Hasegawa

Elise Stenevik

Ruby Mace

Karen Holmgaard

Alanna Kennedy

Abby Clarke

Khiara Keating

Annie Wilding

Julie Blakstad

Alyssa Aherne

Karoline Olesen