Chelsea
Rafa Benitez Hits Out At Chelsea Fans And Threatens To Quit The Club
Rafa Benitez, the so called “Interim manager” of Chelsea has never received any sort of support from the Stamford Bridge crowd as there are a hand-full of fans in every match, who have been targeting Benitez with banners and songs wanting the manager to head out of the club.
The former Liverpool boss is not the favourite amongst the Blues ever since he bad mouthed about them during his days at Anfield. So it is understandable that the fans want him out of the club. There’s been reports of rifts behind the scenes, but Rafa Benitez has finally cracked publicly.
Benitez said: “I have been in charge in football for 26 years. I have won the Champions League, won the FFFA Club World Cup, the FA Cup, the Italian Supper Cup, the Spanish league twice, nine trophies, all the trophies you can win at club level.
“A group of fans, they are not doing any favours for the team when they are singing and wasting time preparing banners.
“It’s because someone made a mistake. They put my title [as] ‘interim manager’, and I will leave at the end of the season, so they don’t need to waste time with me.
“They have to concentrate on supporting the team, that’s what they have to do. In the end, they are not doing any favours to the club, to the rest of the fans and to the players.
“Every game they continue singing and they continue preparing banners, they are wasting time. What they have to do is support the team.
“If we cannot achieve what we expect to achieve, that is to be in the top four and be in the Champions League for next year, I will leave; they will stay in the Europa League.”
Here is the video of his rant towards the Chelsea fans:
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What do you guys think of this? Is he within his rights to have a go at the fans and Abramovich? A neutral fan would think he has, but none of the Blues will have a soft corner for their manager as they want him to leave as early as possible. The fans haven’t supported him at all and the term ‘interim manager’ shows a lack of long term support from Abramovich as well. It is inevitable that either Benitez will walk out of the club or Roman Abramovich will sack him, but the question remains when will it happen. There is also a rising speculation that Benitez may leave at the end of this weekend as a result of his fact-serving comments last night.
Arsenal Dragon
Chelsea Women’s Star Voices Out Against WSL in the Wake of ACL Crisis Following Katie Reid’s Injury
Chelsea midfielder Keira Walsh has issued a powerful call for governing bodies to address the mounting ACL crisis plaguing women’s football after Arsenal teenager Katie Reid became the seventh WSL player to rupture her anterior cruciate ligament this season.
Read More: Ailing Katie Reid Receives Words of Consolation From Arsenal Loanee Suffering From Same Injury
Keira Walsh voices Out Against WSL: “People Higher Up Need to Listen”
Walsh delivered her stark assessment ahead of Chelsea’s Champions League clash, demanding decision-makers take player welfare seriously. “Maybe sometimes we do play too many games in a congested fixture schedule. There’s not enough recovery time,” the 28-year-old stated bluntly. “You can do the research, but ultimately you need to listen to the ones going through it and how we can best find the solutions.”
Teams like Arsenal and Chelsea who advanced deep into last season’s Champions League played over 50 matches throughout the year. With Euro 2025 also taking place during summer, the world’s best players received minimal rest before diving straight back into another grueling campaign.
“Sometimes as players you do worry about it,” Walsh continued. “You still want to play those games. But sometimes people higher up do need to listen to what we’re saying as players.”
Crisis Deepens Across the WSL
Reid’s injury represents a particularly cruel blow for the 19-year-old defender, who had forced her way into Arsenal’s starting lineup ahead of established internationals. Her impressive performances earned Arsenal’s Player of the Month award for September and a first England senior call-up before the training ground injury ended her breakthrough season.
The teenager joins Arsenal teammates Manuela Zinsberger and Michelle Agyemang on the treatment table with season-ending ACL injuries. Liverpool have three players sidelined ~ Marie Höbinger, Sophie Román Haug, and Zara Shaw.
Chelsea’s Kadeisha Buchanan and Brooke Aspin, Everton’s Megan Finnigan and Aurora Galli, plus Manchester City’s Mary Fowler have all suffered ACL ruptures this campaign.
The statistics are harrowing, with seven ACL injuries in just eight weeks of the season. Female footballers are already two to six times more likely than men to suffer ACL injuries, making the current crisis even more alarming.
Read More: Who Is Katie Reid? The 19-Year-Old Arsenal Defender Set for England Debut
Chelsea
Liverpool Women vs. Chelsea Women Player Ratings: Alyssa Thompson Scores Stunner But Record-Breaker Millie Bright Struggles in Damaging Draw
Chelsea Women set a new WSL record with their 34th consecutive match unbeaten streak but dropped crucial points in a frustrating 1-1 draw against Liverpool. Alyssa Thompson’s early stunner was cancelled out by Beata Olsson’s composed finish. The champions now trail Manchester City by three points in the title race.
The Standout Performer:
Alyssa Thompson – 8.5/10 Produced another moment of brilliance with a magnificent ninth-minute goal, collecting Wieke Kaptein’s through ball before cutting inside and curling a sublime effort into the top corner past Faye Kirby.
The American winger constantly threatened Liverpool’s backline with her pace and movement, firing another effort over the bar in the second half before switching flanks to try unlocking the Reds’ stubborn defence. Attempted to turn provider for Erin Cuthbert late on but couldn’t find the breakthrough Chelsea desperately needed. Her third goal of the season demonstrated why she’s become indispensable to Sonia Bompastor’s attack.
Other Notable Performances:
Erin Cuthbert – 7/10 Arguably Chelsea’s best midfielder despite dragging an early effort wide in the opening minute after excellent work from Thompson. Worked tirelessly off the ball throughout, pressing Liverpool’s midfield relentlessly whilst keeping play ticking over in the middle of the park.
Wieke Kaptein – 7/10 Played the perfect pass through for Thompson’s opener, threading the ball into space with precision timing. Solid if unspectacular afterwards as she kept possession moving in midfield, though struggled to create further openings against Liverpool’s organized block.
Keira Walsh – 6.5/10 Kept play ticking over in the middle of the park with her usual composure. Solid if unspectacular performance from the England international, who maintained Chelsea’s possession without unlocking Liverpool’s defence.
Livia Peng – 6/10 Made her WSL debut deputizing for injured Hannah Hampton and came off her line quickly to deny Beata Olsson early on after Millie Bright’s sloppy pass. Could do little to prevent the Liverpool striker’s composed 33rd-minute equalizer when left exposed one-on-one.
Niamh Charles – 6/10 Solid if unspectacular before being replaced by Lauren James as Chelsea pushed for the winner. Provided defensive stability down the left without making significant attacking contributions.
Also read: AI Predicts Upcoming Heated North London Derby Between Arsenal Women and Tottenham Hotspur Women
Chelsea Women travel to St. Helens Stadium on Sunday afternoon with history beckoning, sitting just one match away from setting a new WSL record for the longest unbeaten run. The reigning champions currently match their own 33-game streak, with struggling Liverpool representing the last team to beat them in league competition back in May 2024.
Predicted Lineups
Chelsea Women (4-2-3-1): Peng; Carpenter, Bright, Bjorn, Charles; Kaptein, Walsh; Rytting Kaneryd, Cuthbert, Macario; Thompson
Liverpool Women (4-3-3): Kirby; Shimizu, Clark, Fisk, Woodham; Nagano, Kerr; Holland, Kapocs, Enderby; Olsson
Chelsea’s Record-Breaking Run
Sonia Bompastor’s side equalled their 33-game unbeaten mark with last Saturday’s 1-1 draw at Arsenal, though the dropped points allowed Manchester City to leapfrog them into first place. Chelsea now sit second, one point behind City with both teams having played eight matches.
The Blues bounced back midweek, demolishing St Polten 6-0 in the Champions League. Catarina Macario and Sam Kerr each grabbed braces, extending Chelsea’s tally to seven points from three European matches. Chelsea have scored 15 league goals already this season, with seven arriving inside the opening 15 minutes.
Captain Millie Bright is set to make her 211th WSL appearance, breaking the league’s all-time appearance record.
Liverpool’s Struggles Continue
Gareth Taylor has endured a torrid start to his first season as Liverpool boss. The Reds have managed just one point from eight league games, leaving them in 11th position.
Liverpool finally claimed their first point last weekend with a 1-1 draw against Brighton. Beata Olsson’s 26th-minute opener had them positioned for victory, only for Brighton to snatch a stoppage-time equaliser. Liverpool have scored just four league goals all season whilst conceding 13 times.
Long-term injuries to Zara Shaw, Marie Hobinger, and Sophie Roman Haug have depleted the squad. Chelsea remain without Kadeisha Buchanan, Brooke Aspin and Mayra Ramirez, while Hannah Hampton faces an extended absence with a quad injury.
Kick-off: 12:00 PM Sunday, November 17th, 2025
Venue: St Helens Stadium
TV and Live Streaming: Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Football (UK)
Read More: “Not Good Enough”: Renee Slegers Admits Arsenal Women’s Bayern Collapse Was Unacceptable
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