Ornella Vignola hat-trick on Everton debut signals WSL ambitions

Ornella Vignola marked her Everton debut with a hat-trick as the Toffees beat city rivals Liverpool 4-1 at Anfield, a result that underlined growing optimism around the club's Women's Super League prospects.

The 20-year-old's three-goal haul was the first derby hat-trick for an Everton player since Dixie Dean in September 1931 and came after a summer move from Granada as one of nine additions to manager Brian Sorensen's squad.

Liverpool took an early lead when Cornelia Kapocs scored in the 12th minute and controlled much of the opening half. Vignola levelled in the 24th minute, racing past midfielder Ceri Holland from the halfway line and finishing from a tight angle to pull Everton back into the contest. Katja Snoeijs then headed Everton into a 2-1 lead on the stroke of half-time.

Sorensen said the equaliser "changed the game" and credited Vignola with shifting momentum. "In football there are things that happen that can change things in a game at the flip of a coin. She brought us back from a very deep place," he said.

The manager made tactical changes at half-time, introducing club-record signing Ruby Mace in midfield and adding experience in defence. Nine minutes after the restart, Vignola scored twice in as many minutes to make it 4-1 and seal the victory, extending Everton's unbeaten run in the fixture to eight matches.

Vignola, who was born in Uruguay and has represented Spain at youth level, spent two years at Barcelona between 2020 and 2022 before spells at Sevilla, Alavés and Granada. She had predominantly operated as a winger but started at Anfield as Everton's number nine after impressing in pre-season.

"I'm really happy to have started the season that way, especially here against Liverpool," Vignola said. "It was really exciting, and it made it even better that it was a derby hat-trick. I'm excited for the season ahead."

Sorensen praised her training performances and temperament but urged caution over expectations. "I expected her to score which is why I started her. She was superb and she has been like that in training," he said. "She's so hungry in everything that she does. She keeps her head down and really just works until she is almost passing out. She's still a young player though, so let's see. Today was a good debut."

Team-mate Snoeijs described Vignola's impact as "amazing" and predicted more goals to come. Former England goalkeeper Karen Bardsley, speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live, highlighted Vignola's pace and skill, saying she could become an "exciting focal point with loads and loads of potential."

The performance arrives amid increased investment at Everton since the takeover by The Friedkin Group, which has allowed the club to strengthen a squad that had been cash-strapped in recent years. The women's team has also made a permanent move to historic Goodison Park, another sign of the club's ambition to rise in the WSL after periods outside the top contention.

Vignola's debut offered an immediate return on that summer recruitment drive, but Sorensen and others emphasised consistency as the key measure of long-term success. Everton will seek to build on the result and Vignola's breakthrough as the season progresses, with the club aiming to translate investment and early optimism into sustained WSL performance.