Chelsea suffered a heartbreaking defeat at Anfield in the Carabao Cup, losing 6-5 on penalties after a 1-1 draw. Morgan Rogers converted a penalty in the 40th minute, and Cody Gakpo replied from the spot three minutes later after Wesley Fofana handled the ball. The scoreline didn’t change, though both sides had chances in the second half.
Xabi Alonso suffered his third consecutive defeat at Anfield as a manager, having also lost there with Bayer Leverkusen and Real Madrid. After a warm reception from fans who applauded him back onto the pitch, he leaves with a cup exit.
It may be tempting for Chelsea fans this morning to torch everything that happened, but there were some positives to take from the game. However, there were also some major negatives, especially with that Brazilian teenEstêvão on the bench.
What Xabi Alonso Did Well At Anfield
The work in the midfield was a success. With Cole Palmer suspended and João Pedro sidelined due to a thigh injury, Alonso used a midfield trio of Moisés Caicedo, Romeo Lavia and Jordan Henderson. They worked hard during long spells of the first hour, and Henderson was easily one of the best Chelsea players on the night.
Defensively, they were extremely organised. Liverpool had only 5 touches inside the penalty area in the first half, and neither side managed a shot in the first 22 minutes. The Blues were dominant with 80% of their tackles being successful compared to Liverpool’s 50%.
Alonso was also justified in backing Mike Penders. Four days after his horror own goal against Tottenham, the young Belgian made some great saves from Ronald Araújo and Bradley Barcola. He also saved a Ryan Gravenberch penalty in sudden death, becoming the Blues’ best performer on the night.
What Xabi Alonso Did Poorly At Anfield
The main issue was their attack. With Danny Welbeck up against Virgil van Dijk, they had no one to play into and no one to hold up the ball. Their expected goals from open play were close to zero at half-time: Caicedo’s 22nd-minute effort, worth 0.04 xG, was their only shot before the penalty.
Estêvão did not get on the pitch at all, despite being chanted for by the away fans. After the game, Alonso said the Brazilian was still getting used to the intensity and physicality of English football. However, he also made some forced changes with Maxence Lacroix, Caicedo and Malo Gusto. The Blues were desperate for creativity, and one of their most creative players was on the bench.
They also made a three-man substitution in the 68th minute, with Caicedo, Gusto and Welbeck coming off. Liverpool had already brought on Florian Wirtz and Barcola ten minutes earlier, and the pair found their feet much faster.