Deschamps or Hughes
Chelsea’s need for a replacement for Jose Mourinho seems to be taking a detour with almost every top manager being linked with a move to the London club. While Pep Guardiola seems to be the choice for almost every club in the world, he might be keen to move to Manchester City and that would leave the door open for quite a few to try out their hand at Chelsea.
Roman Abramovich would be looking to bring in someone who can do a good job at Chelsea and also plan for the future as Guus Hiddink is only an interim manager and there is need to bring in someone who can control the egos in the team, something which Jose Mourinho couldn’t do all that well during his second tenure.
Recent rumours have linked a couple of managers to this vacant spot and they might not be the ones that you would expect. While Didier Deschamps has come out of the blue and is being linked heavily with the Chelsea job, Mark Hughes has also come into the running and both managers have their own pros and cons.
An English thorough bred or a World Cup winner?
Didier Deschamps certainly has the experience of playing for the big clubs and also managing them. While everyone remembers him lifting the 1998 World Cup with France, his management career hasn’t been the worst either as he did well with Juventus and Marseille before taking the big job with the French national side.
Deschamps has had to deal with one of the most talented yet toughest group of international footballs in the world. It seems that every time the French team are ready to achieve something, a major scandal breaks out, the Karim Benzema – Mathieu Valbuena one comes to mind at the moment, yet he always seems to get the best out of them every time the players put on the shirt of Les Blues.
Mark Hughes on the other hand, did have a crack at a top team with Manchester City a few years ago but that didn’t go all that well and then had a relatively successful time with Fulham before taking over at QPR and Stoke City, where he has done a marvellous job.
The Welsh manager certainly has made Stoke City become one of the most attractive sides in the league and has brought in a lot of quality players who have seen a rejuvenation of their careers. Shaqiri, Bojan, Muniesa and Arnautovic come to mind and Hughes certainly deserves a shot once again at one of the bigger teams in the league.
While Deschamps would be a big name to manage Chelsea, he doesn’t really have a lot of experience in dealing with a club which has a lot of expectations and are looking to rebuild. Chelsea could probably do better than Hughes but the Welshman has done exceptionally well with Stoke and certainly deserves a crack at another top club sooner rather than later.
Chelsea Women look to bounce back from Sunday’s shock defeat to Everton when they host struggling Roma in Wednesday’s Champions League clash at Stamford Bridge.
The Blues sit sixth in the league phase standings with eight points and need victory to keep alive hopes of finishing in the automatic qualification places for the quarter-finals.
Kick-off: 20:00 GMT, Wednesday, December 10, 2025
Venue: Stamford Bridge
TV: Disney+ (UK)
Form Guide
Chelsea suffered their first defeat of the season on Sunday, losing 1-0 at home to Everton in the WSL to end a 10-match unbeaten run across all competitions. That result followed a 1-1 draw with Barcelona at Stamford Bridge on November 20, where Erin Carpenter’s early opener was cancelled out before halftime in a frustrating evening for Sonia Bompastor’s side.
The Blues previously recorded impressive victories over Paris FC (4-0) and St. Pölten (6-0) in the Champions League, showcasing their attacking prowess. They drew 1-1 with Twente in their opening fixture but remain one of three teams yet to lose in this season’s competition.
Roma sit third from bottom with just one point from four matches, having suffered heavy defeats against Real Madrid (6-2) and Barcelona (4-0) before losing to Vålerenga. Their only point came in a 1-1 draw with OH Leuven on matchday four. In Serie A, they lead the standings by four points after drawing 1-1 with Juventus on Saturday.
Team News
Chelsea will be without Hannah Hampton, Kadiesha Buchanan and Mayra Ramirez through injury. Erin Cuthbert remains a doubt after missing Sunday’s Everton defeat due to concussion protocol following a head knock sustained during Scotland’s friendly against China last week.
Wieke Kaptein and Johanna Rytting Kaneryd are among those expected to return to the starting lineup after being rested for the Everton match. Sonia Bompastor will demand a response from her players following their first loss of the campaign.
Roma have no major injury concerns heading into their trip to West London and will hope to become the first team to beat Chelsea in the Champions League since Barcelona knocked them out in last season’s semi-finals.
Predicted Lineups
Chelsea (4-2-3-1): Musovic; Bright, Bjorn, Carpenter, Lawrence; Nusken, Kaptein; Rytting Kaneryd, James, Reiten; Ramirez
Roma (4-3-3): Ceasar; Thogersen, Linari, Minami, Hanshaw; Giugliano, Kumagai, Greggi; Dragoni, Haavi, Viens
Also read: Tottenham Women vs Aston Villa Women: Predicted Lineups + Match Preview
Chelsea
Hannah Hampton: How England’s Goalkeeper Defied Doctors and Poor Eyesight to Win Treble and EURO Glory
Hannah Hampton was told professional sport wasn’t meant for someone like her. Born with strabismus, an eye condition where eyes don’t align properly and look in different directions, doctors repeatedly warned the Birmingham-born goalkeeper that an elite football career would be impossible.
The condition doesn’t just affect appearance. Hampton also lacks depth perception, meaning she finds it significantly harder to judge distances than people with normal vision. For a goalkeeper, a position that demands split-second judgment of ball trajectory and speed, this should have been an insurmountable barrier. Medical professionals were clear: professional athletics weren’t realistic for someone with her visual impairment.
Hannah Hampton Had Three Surgeries Before Age Three
The 25-year-old underwent three corrective surgeries at Birmingham Children’s Hospital before reaching her third birthday, but none were wholly successful. She still struggles with depth perception today, and the impact of her condition extends far beyond the football pitch.
As she candidly explained to former England goalkeeper Ben Foster during an interview, “I basically have no depth perception, so I can’t judge any distances. How does that work as a keeper? I really don’t know. It just does.”
Her condition’s impact is most noticeable in everyday tasks that others take for granted. “When pouring a glass of water, I’ll miss the glass if I’m not holding it,” Hampton admits. Simple activities like reaching for objects, navigating stairs, or gauging how far away something is require constant conscious effort and adjustment.
Throughout her youth football career, she suffered “many, many nose bleeds” and “a lot of broken fingers” because she constantly positioned her hands in the wrong place when attempting to catch balls. What came naturally to other goalkeepers required Hampton to develop compensatory techniques and an almost superhuman level of focus.
The repeated injuries would have discouraged most young athletes. Combined with the doctors’ warnings and the visible evidence that her condition was causing genuine problems, Hampton had every reason to pursue a different path. But she refused to listen to the doubters.
Hannah Hampton Refused To Give Up On Her Dream
Despite the medical skepticism and the physical toll, Hampton refused to give up on her dream. “I’ve always gone through life trying to prove people wrong,” she said. “I was told from a young age that I couldn’t play football, that it wouldn’t be a profession I could pursue. But here I am.”
Her journey to the top was far from straightforward. Recognizing she needed elite coaching to maximize her potential despite her limitations, Hampton made the bold decision as a teenager to move to Spain. She spent five years developing at Villarreal’s prestigious academy, learning her craft in one of Europe’s most technically demanding football cultures.
The Spanish experience proved invaluable. Away from the skepticism she’d faced in England and surrounded by coaches focused on what she could do rather than what she couldn’t, Hampton developed the technical skills and mental resilience that would define her career.
She returned to England and progressed through the ranks at Stoke City and Birmingham City, consistently proving doubters wrong at each level. Her performances eventually caught the attention of Chelsea, who signed her in 2023. It was the breakthrough she’d worked so hard for a chance to prove herself at the very highest level of women’s football.
Treble Glory at Chelsea
Hampton’s 2024/25 season with Chelsea was nothing short of spectacular. The Blues won the domestic treble, claiming the WSL title, FA Cup and League Cup while finishing the league campaign unbeaten. Hampton’s contribution was immense. She shared the Golden Glove award after keeping 13 clean sheets, demonstrating that her supposed visual impairment was no barrier to elite shot-stopping.
Her performances drew praise from teammates, opponents and pundits alike. Here was a goalkeeper with a measurable physical disadvantage not just competing at the highest level, but excelling. She’d turned her weakness into motivation, developing an exceptional work ethic and mental toughness that set her apart.
Euro 2025: Becoming England’s Hero
After Mary Earps’ retirement in May 2025, Hampton became England’s undisputed number one goalkeeper. The weight of expectation was enormous . Earps had been a national hero, the face of women’s football in England. Hampton had to step into those impossibly large gloves and make the position her own.
Her defining moment came in the Euro 2025 quarter-final against Sweden. The match went to a penalty shootout after a grueling 120 minutes. Late in extra time, Hampton suffered a nosebleed, a problem that had plagued her since childhood due to her repeated surgeries and the facial trauma from misjudging ball distances. With an absorbent stuffed in her nostril and blood on her kit, she faced Sweden’s penalty takers.
She saved two. England advanced.
But Hampton wasn’t finished. The final against Spain on July 27, 2025, again went to penalties. With the pressure at its absolute peak and the nation watching, Hampton stepped up once more. She saved penalties from Barcelona stars Mariona Caldentey and Aitana Bonmati, two of the world’s best players. England had won the Euros.
UEFA named Hampton Player of the Match in the final. Manager Sarina Wiegman told reporters it was “like a fairy tale” – the goalkeeper told she’d never make it had just delivered England’s greatest triumph.
Now an ambassador for Birmingham Children’s Hospital where she underwent those early surgeries, Hampton uses her platform to inspire others facing similar challenges. Her message is simple but powerful:
“It was always my passion to do sport and it was my dream. You’ve got to follow your dreams and, sat here right now, I can say that I’ve done that.”
Chelsea
Chelsea Women Player Ratings vs. Everton: Sonia Bompastor’s Unbeaten Record Shattered as Toffees End Historic 34-Game WSL Streak
Chelsea’s record-breaking 34-game unbeaten run in the Women’s Super League came to a shock end on Sunday as Everton stunned the defending champions 1-0 at Kingsmeadow, handing Sonia Bompastor her first defeat as Blues boss.
Honoka Hayashi’s 12th-minute strike proved decisive despite Chelsea dominating possession and creating numerous chances. The hosts either produced wayward finishes or found Ireland international Courtney Brosnan in inspired form, making two outstanding first-half saves from Catarina Macario and Alyssa Thompson.
A goalmouth scramble in stoppage time epitomized Chelsea’s frustration – two goal-line clearances and two efforts off the bar somehow kept the ball out as Everton claimed their first WSL win over Chelsea in 12 years. The defeat leaves Chelsea six points behind leaders Manchester City with the season approaching its halfway stage.
Goalkeeper & Defence
Livia Peng (6/10): Had nothing to do except pick the ball out of her net after Hayashi’s opener.
Ellie Carpenter (5/10): Beaten to the ball by Hayashi for the game’s decisive moment. A costly lapse.
Lucy Bronze (6/10): Marshalled Gago well in an intriguing individual battle despite playing an unfamiliar position.
Naomi Girma (6/10): Moved the ball well and dealt effectively with Everton’s counter-attacks to prevent further damage.
Sandy Baltimore (7/10): Chelsea’s brightest performer. Consistently troubled Everton with positive, confident runs at defenders while delivering dangerous set pieces. Hit the bar with the last kick.
Midfield & Attack
Keira Walsh (5/10): Tidy on the ball but couldn’t provide the moment of quality needed to carve Everton open.
Maika Hamano (5/10): Some decent possession moments but needed better off-ball movement to become more threatening.
Catarina Macario (5/10): Linked play nicely and forced Brosnan’s fantastic early save but operated too deep to be a consistent threat.
Alyssa Thompson (6/10): One of Chelsea’s livelier performers. Unlucky not to score after Brosnan’s first-half save, then fired just wide after the break.
Aggie Beever-Jones (5/10): Worked hard with nice creative moments but lacked service.
Lauren James (5/10): Got 55 minutes under her belt on her first start since injury. Looked lively considering her layoff and forced a good Brosnan save but lacked incision.
Sam Kerr (4/10): On the end of plenty of chances but couldn’t provide her trademark clinical finish, with one particularly bad miss.
Bompastor’s attacking lineup lacked structure at times as players got in each other’s way. Her substitutions addressed the problem but the ball simply wouldn’t go in.
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