Liverpool play their final WSL match of the season against champions Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
FA Cup semi-final
Liverpool played Chelsea in the FA Cup semi-final in April that resulted in a late 2-1 loss for the Reds.
Amber Whiteley spoke of the positives the team have taken from that game.
She said: “We take lots of confidence from that game, it was a really good performance, especially that first half when we went, toe to toe with them, they had good momentum in that first half.
“I think I said after that defeat to Chelsea in the FA Cup, the next time that we come up against them, I want to see improvements.
“That’s absolutely what it’s about this weekend, I want to see how far we’ve progressed.
“We take lots of positives from that game and it’s an important game for us this weekend in terms of picking up points in our league positions.
“We want to we want to make it as difficult for Chelsea as possible this weekend.”
Interim reflections
Whiteley took over as Liverpool interim manager in February 2025 following Matt Beard’s departure from the club.
Although she could not give any update on her future in the position she reflected on her time as head coach.
She said: “I think overall, not the season that we would have wanted, but still lots of positives to take out of it.
“I can only speak for, for what I’ve seen over last 10, 11 weeks.
“The response from the girls was absolutely brilliant we’ve made some really good progress in the last couple of months, lots of positives to take and lots to work on going into next season.”
Olivia Smith’s nomination
Olivia Smith was nominated for the Player of the Season and the Rising Star awards by Barclay’s Women’s Super League after her first season with the club.
Amber Whiteley said: “It’s brilliant for Liv.
“She’s had a fantastic season and has been such an important part of the team.
“She’s been really influential for us, so great to see her nominated for those two awards.
“She deserves all the credit that she’s getting at the moment.”
Injury update
The Reds are without Leanne Kiernan and Lucy Parry this weekend, with Parry picking up a slight hamstring strain.
Spoiling unbeaten streaks
Chelsea are yet to lose a game in the WSL this season and have only drawn three times.
Liverpool put on an impressive semi-cup final performance against Chelsea and achieved a 4-3 victory against the Blues last season.
If the Reds come away with all three points, they will be the only side to beat Chelsea in the WSL this season.
Amber Whiteley said: “Well, that’ll certainly be the aim going into the game.
“It’s so important for us, we want to see what progress has been made, but also important in terms of our lead position, we need the points from this game.
“We’ll put absolutely everything in and give ourselves the best possible chance of coming away from the game with points.”
Stamford bridge pressure
The Blues host Liverpool at Stamford bridge with over 10,000 tickets already sold it’s expected to be a big game.
Whiteley said: “I think we enjoy playing at the biggest stadiums- it’s something that we look forward to.
“We really enjoyed playing at Anfield last weekend in front of all of our home fans, I thought the support was incredible.
“We look forward to playing at Stamford Bridge this week.”
The Reds’ manager spoke of the importance of away support in the final match of the season.
She said: “The fan support is always really important to us.
“The travelling support all season has been absolutely incredible.
“We hear them in full voice and it gives us that extra energy and extra push that we need.
“We’ll look forward to hearing that again this weekend.”
Liverpool take on Chelsea at 12:30 on Saturday 10th May for their final game of the season.
(Feature Image by Clare Tweed)
