Mangal Dalal, a 42-year-old London resident from Hyde Park Gardens in Westminster, pleaded guilty to stalking Liverpool midfielder Marie Hobinger at Liverpool Magistrates’ Court on Thursday.

The Crown Prosecution Service authorized stalking charges after Dalal sent the 24-year-old Austria international repeated inappropriate and se*ually explicit messages via Instagram between January 27 and February 16, 2025.

Disturbing Pattern of Messages

Dalal bombarded Hobinger with messages that often contained se*ually explicit content, including his mobile number and postcode. He repeatedly asked the midfielder to visit him and hinted he would attend Liverpool matches specifically to see her.

Senior Crown Prosecutor Sarah McInerney described Dalal’s conduct as “intense, continual and totally inappropriate,” stating he “targeted her and treated her as an object that he could use to air his fantasies.”

Pitch-Side Confrontation Forces Action

After blocking Dalal and reporting the messages to Liverpool, Hobinger became increasingly concerned for her safety. The club assigned a safety officer to travel with her to matches as a protective measure.

On February 16, Dalal travelled from London to Manchester City’s Joie Stadium, where Liverpool suffered a 4-0 defeat with Hobinger playing the full 90 minutes. He waited pitch-side at the final whistle before a steward spotted him and alerted Liverpool’s safety officer, who identified Dalal as the stalker before police were called.

Mental Health Defense and Sentencing

When questioned by police, Dalal admitted to stalking Hobinger but claimed he was “mentally unwell” at the time of the offenses. He will be sentenced on January 20, 2026 at Westminster Magistrates’ Court, where he faces potential imprisonment for his criminal behavior.

Liverpool manager Gareth Taylor expressed concern that Hobinger was publicly named as the victim, though the CPS justified the decision by explaining her prominent role in professional football was precisely why she was targeted.

Prosecutors hope publicizing the case will deter similar behavior and encourage other victims to come forward. Hobinger currently remains sidelined after suffering an ACL injury in October, just days before teammate Sophie Roman Haug sustained the same devastating injury.

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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

Arsenal Women look to strengthen their Champions League qualification hopes when they host FC Twente at Meadow Park on Tuesday night.

The defending champions sit tenth in the league phase standings with six points from four matches and need victory to maintain realistic hopes of finishing in the automatic top-four qualification spots.

Kick-off: 20:00 GMT, Tuesday, December 10, 2025
Venue: Meadow Park (Mangata Developments Stadium)
TV: Disney+ (UK)

Form Guide

Arsenal secured a dramatic 2-1 victory over Liverpool on Saturday, with Stina Blackstenius netting an 87th-minute winner after Olivia Smith’s opener was cancelled out by Beata Olsson. The result extended their unbeaten run to five matches across all competitions and marked their fifth WSL win of the season.

In Champions League action, the Gunners beat Real Madrid 2-1 on November 20 after coming from behind through Alessia Russo’s second-half brace. However, they lost their opening two home European games at Meadow Park against Lyon (0-1) and claimed a 2-0 away victory at Benfica between those fixtures.

Twente remain winless in the Champions League with just two points from four matches, sitting 14th and two points outside the playoff places. They drew 1-1 with Chelsea and Benfica but suffered defeats to OH Leuven (1-2) and Atletico Madrid (0-4). Despite their European struggles, Twente top the Vrouwen Eredivisie unbeaten with seven wins and one draw from eight matches.

Team News

Arsenal will be without Daphne van Domselaar (quad), Chloe Kelly (knee), Manuela Zinsberger (ACL) and Katie Reid (ACL). Anneke Borbe made her Arsenal debut against Liverpool and will earn her first Champions League start for the club on Tuesday.

Leah Williamson is available for limited minutes as she continues her comeback from the knee injury sustained at Euro 2025. Kim Little requires careful management after recent calf problems, with Renée Slegers describing it as “a loading issue.”

Twente have former Arsenal midfielder Jill Roord in their squad after she surprisingly joined from Manchester City during the summer, citing a desire to rekindle her love for football by returning home.

Predicted Lineups

Arsenal (4-2-3-1): Borbe; Fox, Wubben-Moy, Catley, McCabe; Cooney-Cross, Little; Foord, Maanum, Blackstenius; Russo

Twente (4-3-3): Lemey; Stroot, Oudejans, Pijpers, Oude Elberink; Groenewegen, Andradóttir, Pelova; Proost, Van de Velde, Roord

Also read: News of Unrest Engulfs Arsenal Women Camp – Manager Renee Slegers Clarifies