Emmanuel Emegha of Chelsea reacts after the Carabao Cup Fourth Round match between Liverpool and Chelsea at Anfield
Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images
Emmanuel Emegha finally made his Chelsea debut in Wednesday’s Carabao Cup fourth-round clash with Liverpool, but the former Strasbourg striker endured a night to forget. Having recently returned from a hamstring injury, Emegha replaced Danny Welbeck late on, with the Blues needing a goal to avoid a penalty shootout.
After an unusual moment in which he ran into Virgil van Dijk off the ball, Emegha struggled to make an impact. His difficult evening then took another turn in the shootout, as he missed the penalty that would have sent Chelsea through to the next round. Wesley Fofana also missed before Joe Gomez converted to send Liverpool into the next round.
READ MORE:Xabi Alonso called out on US television after Chelsea’s EFL Cup exit, ‘He wouldn’t be saying that’
What are your thoughts on Estevao being left out again? Why do you think Xabi Alonso keeps doing it? 🤔
I just can’t explain it. I get it when Palmer, Rogers and Pedro are all starting, but yesterday? And to not even hand him a minute…
Yeah so did I only 5 then
You just missed the Leeds cup final then
The stats behind Emmanuel Emegha’s Chelsea debut
At 6ft 5in, Emmanuel Emegha offers Chelsea a physical presence up front, but he struggled to make the most of it against Liverpool. The striker lost four of his five aerial duels and won one of six duels overall, while his hold-up play left plenty to be desired.
He failed to register a single shot, completed just two passes and did not beat his opponent with his only attempted dribble. Brought on to make a difference after Danny Welbeck had also struggled, Emegha made little impact during his brief appearance.
Emmanuel Emegha’s Chelsea debut stats
Touches Accurate passes Shots Successful dribbles Duels won FotMob rating
7 2/3 (67%) 0 0/1 (0%) 1/6 (17%) 6.0
Stats via FotMob
FotMob gave the Dutchman a 6.0 rating, the lowest of any Chelsea player. However, it is probably too soon to judge him harshly after such a short debut cameo, particularly as he had only recently returned from a hamstring injury.
It was also surprising that Emegha was not among Chelsea’s first five penalty takers, given his role as a striker. He eventually stepped up to take the Blues’ seventh spot-kick but missed the penalty that would have sent them through.
Emegha apologising to Chelsea fans for his crucial penalty miss against Liverpool. It happens to the best of players, he had a good cameo I thought, can offer us a lot. https://t.co/vts1ae0nSx
— JnR (@CFCJnR) October 29, 2026
As Chelsea’s players and coaching staff approached the 6,000-strong away end at Anfield after the defeat, Emegha held his hands up in apology. It was a difficult moment for the striker, who would have loved to cap his first appearance for the club by scoring the winning penalty.
The 23-year-old now needs to put the disappointment behind him and look to make a better impression when Chelsea face Manchester United on Saturday. Whether he starts or comes off the bench again, Emegha should benefit from having both Cole Palmer and Morgan Rogers available to provide service.