Liverpool manager Matt Beard said Gemma Bonner’s double winner against her former club Chelsea was “written in the stars”.
The Reds captain scored two goals in the second half on Wednesday dramatic 4-3 victory at Prenton Park to derail Chelsea’s bid for a fifth consecutive Women’s Super League title.
Beard said: “I think it’s written in the stars actually. Two great headers, the credit goes to my coaching team on set pieces. We’re a great team. It took us a while to score goals from set pieces. We knew the way they set it up so we could explore it.”
It was the perfect way for longtime Liverpool fan Bonner to celebrate becoming the first woman to make 150 appearances for the club.
After a year at Chelsea, his first spell with the Reds took place between 2012 and 2018.
The 32-year-old led Liverpool to two WSL title victories under Beard in 2013 and 2014, and returned last season to help them regain past glory.
“Growing up as a Liverpool fan and first coming here and then coming back, I wanted to get us back to where we wanted to be,” Bonner told Sky Sports.
“I just try to be the best I can. We can put on performances like that and it’s just a matter of getting that consistency and then we can get into the top three.”
Bonner scored two corners – including the injury-time winner – and his side defeated Chelsea in a thrilling seven-goal game.
The result saw Liverpool move level on points with fourth-placed Manchester United, with a game against their rivals on Sunday (2pm BST).
Liverpool only returned to the top flight last season, finishing seventh in their first year back in the WSL, and Beard said his team is growing in stature.
“We beat Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United,” he added. “We caused a lot of problems. I feel like for us, it’s consistency and belief.
“We know that on our day we can compete. Take Manchester City out of the equation – I think they are the best team in the WSL, I think they will win and I said this months ago – we have made great strides.”
Chelsea, Manchester City, Arsenal and Manchester United are the division’s traditional ‘top four’, but Bonner said Liverpool could upset that order if they were consistent.
“I think if we want to get into the top three, we have to do it consistently,” she added.
“We showed that we can compete with the best teams, as we did tonight, but we continue to press and Sunday is another opportunity for us.”
