Perfect start: A win for interim coach John Bayer. Picture: The FA via Getty Images

Published: 4 July, 2014

FA Cup winners Arsenal Ladies lifted themselves off the bottom of the Women’s Super League on Sunday with a 1-0 victory at champions Liverpool, writes Steve Barnett. 

Defender Casey Stoney’s goal early in the second half proved enough to earn the Gunners their first league win of the season, and hand interim coach John Bayer the perfect start to his short spell in charge following Shelley Kerr’s resignation. 

Bayer has already confirmed he has not applied for the manager’s job on a full-time basis as he wants to continue in his role as technical director of the club’s girls’ centre of excellence. 

But should Bayer change his mind his stock couldn’t be much higher following Sunday’s performance. 

Arsenal fully merited their narrow victory on a sunny afternoon on Merseyside after creating chances in both halves and nullifying the Reds’ attacking threat. 

Liverpool goalkeeper Danielle Gibbons tried her best to earn her side something from the game in the first half as she twice denied Danielle Carter before making another sublime save to stop Alex Scott scoring from the edge of the box. 

But Gibbons reminded fans of the precarious lifestyle of a goalkeeper 10 minutes into the second half when she dropped a Carter corner to allow Stoney to score what proved to be the winner from close range.