Chelsea will host Arsenal in the London derby in the Premier League this weekend. Enzo Maresca’s men are high in confidence after dispatching Barcelona by 3-1 in the Champions League.
Goals from Estevao and Liam Delap, along with an own-goal from Jules Kounde, sealed the deal for the Blues.
Also, last weekend in the Premier League, they convincingly beat Burnley at Turf Moor. Now, they will be looking to keep their winning run against the league leaders, Arsenal.
The Blues are currently in second place in the Premier League. So, they will be looking to close the gap by winning against Mikel Arteta’s men.
But before the game, a controversy had arisen from inside the club. A Chelsea staff member admitted she took a huge sum of money from the club over a four-year period.
As per the BBC, Claire Walsh worked as an assistant treasury manager and used her position to take funds for herself. Court documents showed she gained £208,520 between June 2019 and October 2023.
Walsh appeared at Westminster Magistrates’ Court and accepted the charge of fraud by abuse of position. Magistrate Kieran O’Donnell told her that the scale of the offence required a higher court.
He explained that the sentencing powers of the magistrates’ court were not enough for a case of this size.
So, Walsh will now face sentencing at Isleworth Crown Court. The date has not been confirmed yet, and she will remain under court direction until the hearing.
Chelsea have not released a formal statement, but the case has already raised serious questions about internal financial controls at the club.
The matter now moves to the crown court, where Walsh will learn the full consequences of her actions.
But Chelsea will be looking to focus on the pitch; they have a tough game in hand against the table-toppers.
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