Martina Navratilova sticks up for $5.3 billion-worth Liverpool amid criticism of 'disappointing' Manchester United draw

Tennis legend Martina Navratilova has supported Premier League powerhouse Liverpool, following criticism of their recent match against Manchester United. Navratilova, known for sharing her views on various topics online, weighed in on the team's performance.

Manchester United staged a strong comeback against Liverpool at Anfield on Sunday. Lisandro Martinez gave United an unexpected early lead, but Liverpool responded swiftly with an equalizer from Cody Gakpo. Ten minutes later, Mohamed Salah converted a penalty, putting Liverpool ahead and sparking renewed hope among the home fans.

However, the "Red Devils" seized the final 10 minutes of the match, with Amad Diallo scoring the equaliser. Despite the draw, Liverpool extended their lead at the top of the Premier League to six points ahead of Arsenal.

A fan, however, voiced dissatisfaction with the performance of $5.37 billion Liverpool, writing:

"Disappointed in our preformance today reds. Thoughts?"

In response, the 18-time Major champion, Martina Navratilova suggested that it's unrealistic to expect peak performance every day from a team. She wrote:

"Only mediocre people are at their best every day…:)"

Navratilova, active on social media, holds that transgender individuals should not be allowed in sex-based spaces for biological women, a stance she also applies to women’s sports.

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Martina Navratilova gave a befitting response to a critic calling her 'TERF'

Martina Navratilova at the 2024 French Open (Image Source: Getty)

Martina Navratilova recently addressed a critic who labeled her a "trans-exclusionary radical feminist" (TERF) during a debate. Rather than reacting defensively to the label, Navratilova accepted it and reaffirmed her position.

When a user on X suggested that transgender individuals using women's spaces shouldn't be a major issue, Navratilova responded by advising them not to dictate what women are comfortable with. She wrote:

"You don’t get to tell women what they should be comfortable with . Trans identified males are not welcome in women’s sex based spaces. Stop telling us what we should or should not be doing about it.

A fan criticized Navratilova, stating that TERFs don't represent most women, denouncing transphobia as a divisive right-wing tactic.

Navratilova responded by asserting that TERFs represent women who oppose male bodies in female spaces, emphasizing that many women are uncomfortable with such inclusion for obvious reasons.

"TERFs like me speak for the women who can’t speak for themselves- and those women and girls do NOT want male bodies in their spaces. Speak for your self. You might be ok with males in the women’s locker room. Good for you. Many are not ok with that. For obvious reasons," Navratilova replied.

In October last year, Martina Navratilova appreciated transgender athlete Nicole Powers' decision to refrain from competing in women's sports after she realized the biological differences.