Chelsea have been knocked out of the Carabao Cup after they lost 6-5 on penalties to Liverpool at Anfield on Wednesday night. Morgan Rogers scored from the spot in the 40th minute before Wesley Fofana gave Cody Gakpo the chance to level the score after his needless handball, with Gakpo converting in the 43rd minute.
Outside of the two penalties, there wasn’t much to take from this match. Chelsea barely threatened from open play in the first half. Neither side created any real chances, and Chelsea were nowhere near their best, with Alonso missing Cole Palmer (suspended), João Pedro, Reece James and Jamie Gittens.
However, the Blues struggled in the shootout, missing three penalties. Here are the Chelsea player ratings after a difficult loss to Liverpool:
Mike Penders – 7/10
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The young Belgian had the best performance of the night for Chelsea after giving Tottenham an own goal four days ago. He made a great save to deny Ronald Araújo’s header and made a stunning sprawling save to deny Bradley Barcola from 20 yards. He also saved Ryan Gravenberch’s penalty in sudden death. He couldn’t be blamed for anything.
Josh Acheampong – 5.5/10
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Ngumoha had a great game on the left wing and was Liverpool’s main outlet. Acheampong received a yellow card in the 50th minute for cynically fouling the teenager. He didn’t look like he wanted to be on the field for the rest of the game as he lacked any enthusiasm.
Wesley Fofana – 4/10
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He had a solid 41 minutes in defence, which is a decent performance for him nowadays. However, he then conceded the penalty that let Liverpool equalise, handling the ball above his head from a corner inside his own box for no apparent reason. He finally missed the decisive spot-kick for Chelsea by hitting it into the Kop.
Maxence Lacroix – 5/10
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There wasn’t much to take from the Frenchman. He played a clean half with about two moments of actual football. However, he pulled up with a hamstring injury right at the end of the first half and was replaced in stoppage time, which summed up Chelsea’s luck with their centre-backs this season.
Malo Gusto – 6/10
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Gusto played well, with his intelligent pass leading to Moisés Caicedo winning the penalty. However, he had an average game, including a terrible back-pass to give Liverpool a corner and a weak challenge on Barcola. He was substituted off in the 68th minute with no complaints.
Moisés Caicedo – 7/10
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Caicedo was the most consistent player for Chelsea and won the penalty that Rogers converted. He had a great game, constantly running and disrupting Liverpool’s early play. He also dragged an effort from outside the box wide when he should have left it for a teammate in a better position. Chelsea did Liverpool a favour by taking him off on 68 minutes, with the hosts’ midfield badly needing the help.
Roméo Lavia – 6/10
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Lavia played well but didn’t take control of the game. He was booked in the 73rd minute for fouling Ngumoha after being skinned by the teenager earlier. However, he scored his penalty in the shootout with confidence to quieten the Kop.
Jordan Henderson – 6/10
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Henderson received a hostile reception and was kept quiet in the opening half hour. However, he was composed in the shootout and scored a cool penalty to send the game into sudden death. He deserves respect for his composure.
Pedro Neto – 5.5/10
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Neto had a quiet game on the right wing. He had one curling shot from outside the box which was easily saved by Giorgi Mamardashvili. He didn’t play well with his set pieces, and his final ball rarely caused any problems for the Reds. However, he scored confidently from 12 yards in the shootout, which some of his teammates couldn’t do.
Danny Welbeck – 5/10
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Welbeck started with three goals in this competition but barely touched the ball in any meaningful areas. He put in an okay shift with pressing but was isolated and overpowered. He was substituted in the 68th minute. Chelsea’s lack of a fit first-choice striker has rarely looked this bad.
Morgan Rogers – 6.5/10
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Rogers scored a confident penalty in normal time. However, he had a frustrating game. He missed with a heavy touch early on in the second half and failed to capitalise on a counter-attack later on. He was clinical from the spot but wasteful elsewhere.
Levi Colwill – 6.5/10
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Colwill came on in stoppage time of the first half and looked like he was the calmest defender for Chelsea. He had an outstanding block on Florian Wirtz late on and scored his penalty in the shootout with power over Mamardashvili.
Valentín Barco – 5/10
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Barco had a poor 25 minutes with just a blocked cross to his name. He then hit the post with his penalty in the shootout after stepping up with a stuttering run. His contact looked terrible, which is damning given he was signed for his technical ability.
Marco Palestra – 6.5/10
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Palestra was easily the most lively of the subs. He was the only one to really threaten Liverpool’s goal. He had a great burst of pace to create a shooting chance late on, which forced Mamardashvili into making the save of the night. Chelsea fans were asking for more of him throughout the game, which was fair.
Emmanuel Emegha – 5/10
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Emegha had a nightmare debut. He stepped up in sudden death to try and save Chelsea. However, he failed to convert. Welcome to the club!
Xabi Alonso – 5.5/10
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Alonso received a warm reception from fans who still love him. However, he left with nothing to show for his third consecutive visit to Anfield as an opposition manager. It was baffling to leave Estêvão on the bench until the final whistle, considering how blunt Chelsea looked.