Nine games, nine defeats. Three goals scored, 24 conceded.

The combined records of Liverpool and West Ham United in the Women’s Super League make very bleak reading.

With nearly a quarter of the season already gone, it looks like two mainstays of the league in recent campaigns will be scrapping to avoid finishing 12th.

Both will be grateful there is no automatic relegation. With the WSL expanding to 14 teams in 2026-27, the bottom side will play the third-placed finisher in WSL2 for a top-flight spot next year.

But that will be of little comfort for two teams who, despite their status and history, look ill-equipped for this campaign.

While their records are similarly unimpressive, the reasons for their struggles differ. Two-time top-flight champions Liverpool’s problems lie primarily in attack, while West Ham have defensive woes too.

The Reds came into this campaign with a new manager, Gareth Taylor, who replaced the late Matt Beard in the summer.

Beard’s sudden passing – which led to Liverpool’s WSL fixture at Aston Villa being postponed – will no doubt have impacted many in the squad, who knew and played under him.

In football terms, Taylor has also had to do without Olivia Smith. The Canadian forward was a key player last season, scoring seven times in the league, but became English football’s first million-pound player when she left for Arsenal in the summer.

But Taylor’s issues after four games are more than just individuals. The squad overall is painfully light on that most essential commodity – goals.