Russian Chelsea diehard & Playboy temptress suffers heartache at game
Russian Chelsea obsessive Maria Liman braved chilly temperatures in a blue cheerleader outfit as the model and actress watched Chelsea draw 1-1 at home to Brighton in the Premier League, putting another dent in their title hopes.
Champions League holders Chelsea started as heavy favorites against opponents who had not won in seven away games, and London-based Liman looked suitably optimistic at the start, bouncing out of her seat at Stamford Bridge in a blue skirt and short matching top.
The 27-year-old Rostov-born football lover posted Instagram videos of the teams emerging on the pitch for kick-off to her social media following of more than 1.2 million admirers.
Liman shared her joy after $130 million signing Romelu Lukaku headed the Blues ahead with less than half an hour gone in a game they needed to win as they chased a nine-point gap on Premier League leaders Manchester City.
That quickly turned to trepidation as Brighton, who started the evening in 11th place in the table and 18 points behind Chelsea, dominated much of the rest of the game.
There were so few highlights to pick out for Chelsea after the goal that Liman appeared to be reduced to picking out a man behind her in the crowd who she proclaimed "the best Chelsea fan".
Despite their dire display, Chelsea looked to have held on for an underwhelming win until Brighton striker Danny Welbeck headed an equalizer in second-half added time.
In response, Liman showed fans the scoreboard along with a crying emoji, as well as footage of a blue smoke bomb thrown on the pitch by the away fans after their dramatic last-gasp leveler.
She might remember Seagulls hero Welbeck: the former Arsenal and Manchester United forward played for England at the 2018 World Cup, making an appearance for the Three Lions when they played Belgium in Kalingrad.
Those finals saw Liman named as football's 'hottest fan', and she has not shied away from showing herself at games ever since.
Her last public outing to Stamford Bridge proved a more successful evening, watching her team hammer Juventus 4-0 in their Champions League group in November.
On that occasion, Liman even asked her followers to help her decide what underwear she should don for the match.
More wins may be on the way to help Liman overcome the frustration of an evening that left boss Thomas Tuchel admitting Chelsea are "struggling".
The Brighton game was the first of four home games in ten days for the club owned by Russian businessman Roman Abramovich, continuing with the visit of Liverpool in the Premier League on Sunday.
Tottenham then travel to the Bridge in the EFL Cup on Wednesday, followed by an FA Cup clash with non-league Chesterfield on January 8.
