Familiar Nemesis Crushes Chelsea's Carabao Cup Hopes as Blues Fall to Liverpool

Chelsea have been eliminated from the Carabao Cup at the fourth-round stage, falling to Liverpool 6–5 in a penalty shootout after the match ended 1–1 at full time at Anfield on Wednesday evening.

Liverpool looked marginally sharper from the off, though the opening half was largely uneventful, with both sides failing to generate any meaningful attacking threat.

That changed dramatically in the closing stages of the first half, courtesy of some poor defensive errors. Ryan Gravenberch clumsily brought down Moisés Caicedo inside the box with a needless challenge. Morgan Rogers stepped up and converted the resulting spot kick to hand Chelsea the advantage 40 minutes in—the first shot on target of the entire match.

Chelsea's lead didn't last long, however, as Wesley Fofana inexplicably raised his arm while defending a corner, conceding a blatant handball. Cody Gakpo made no mistake from the penalty spot, cancelling out Fofana's error to level the score heading into the interval.

The second half opened up considerably, with both goalkeepers called upon to make important stops as clear-cut chances came at both ends. Neither team could find a decisive goal, however, forcing the tie to be settled via a penalty shootout.

The shootout entered sudden death after Chelsea's Valentín Barco and Liverpool's Kostas Tsimikas both failed to convert within the first five kicks. Chelsea had the opportunity to pull off the upset, but Emmanuel Emegha squandered what would have been the winning penalty—a miss that proved decisive.

Needing to keep Chelsea's hopes alive, Fofana blazed his penalty high over the bar, putting the perfect seal on a disastrous personal performance.

For the third time since 2019, Chelsea's Carabao Cup campaign has ended in a shootout defeat to Liverpool. Xabi Alonso's side must now focus solely on the Premier League and FA Cup for the remainder of the 2026–27 season.

One Thing We Can't Ignore

Just a year ago, a teenage Estêvão was netting a crucial goal against Liverpool before dazzling in a Champions League showdown with Barcelona. The Brazilian seemed set to become an increasingly vital figure for Chelsea in the months ahead. The reality has been starkly different.

Just four days after Alonso opted for fellow teenager Geovany Quenda over him to replace João Pedro in the starting XI against Tottenham, Estévão was once again left out of the lineup against Liverpool—marking the first time he failed to start a Carabao Cup fixture this season. Despite the absences of key attackers Pedro and Cole Palmer, the Brazilian didn't even make the bench.

Estévão hasn't started a match for Chelsea since September 9, and has managed just 31 minutes across four appearances for the club since then. In total, the young Brazilian has accumulated only 172 minutes of action across 11 appearances in all competitions this campaign.

Last summer, Estévão was widely regarded as a future superstar and a potential Ballon d'Or contender. He has already demonstrated the raw talent to fulfil that potential, yet he currently sits well down the pecking order in Alonso's attack.

Only Alonso can explain why Estévão is receiving so little game time, but there is no denying that the development of one of football's most exciting young talents is being hindered. The way Alonso is handling Estévão is beginning to draw uncomfortable comparisons to how Carlo Ancelotti managed Endrick at both Real Madrid and with Brazil.

If things don't change soon, speculation about a potential Chelsea departure in an upcoming transfer window—likely on loan—will only grow louder.

Chelsea Player Ratings vs. Liverpool (4-3-3)

*Ratings Provided by FotMob*

GK: Mike Penders—7.8: Looked uneasy in possession, frequently launching the ball long rather than playing simple passes, which frustrated those around him. Nevertheless, he came up with a pair of excellent saves in the second half.

RB: Josh Acheampong—7.5: Engaged in a lively duel down the flank with Rio Ngumoha and largely came out on top. He also pushed forward at times, catching Liverpool off guard with some well-timed runs to the byline. Produced a superb late block to deny Bradley Barcola.

CB: Maxence Lacroix—6.6: Performed his defensive duties with focus and discipline before being forced off with an injury just before the half-time whistle.

CB: Wesley Fofana—7.6: Gifted away a penalty moments after Chelsea had taken the lead, then missed the crucial spot kick in the shootout. A thoroughly miserable night for the French defender.

LB: Malo Gusto—7.0: Aside from a positive contribution that led to Caicedo's penalty, Gusto was inconsistent and at times sloppy in possession.

DM: Moisés Caicedo—7.8: Looked like his commanding self once again. Thrived against an inexperienced midfield, dominating the centre of the park and frequently pushing forward to influence play in the final third.

DM: Roméo Lavia—7.2: Made some vital interceptions in dangerous areas and kept the ball moving effectively, holding firm under Liverpool's press.

AM: Jordan Henderson—7.6: Brought plenty of energy on his return to Anfield, the ground where he made 492 appearances. He pressed Liverpool's defenders relentlessly and played a key role in the build-up to Chelsea's penalty with a precise switch of play to Gusto. A solid display from the experienced midfielder.

RW: Pedro Neto—7.2: The versatile wide player operated as a traditional touchline winger on the night. Threatening in moments, frustrating in others—a reflection of his time at Chelsea so far.

ST: Danny Welbeck—6.3: Rarely had a sniff at goal and was frequently isolated against Liverpool's centre-backs. That said, his work rate and pressing efforts were commendable.

LW: Morgan Rogers—7.9: Struggled to make an impact in open play, but held his nerve to send the goalkeeper the wrong way with a composed penalty. Grew into the game in the second half, though remained inconsistent in front of goal.

SUB: Levi Colwill (45' for Lacroix)—6.4: Not heavily tested but produced a fine block to deny Florian Wirtz in the second half.

SUB: Marco Palestra (68' for Gusto)—6.2: Failed to take advantage of Chelsea's best opportunity of the night shortly after coming on. Solid enough defensively.

SUB: Valentín Barco (68' for Caicedo)—6.4: Impressive cameo from the Argentine, who contributed across the pitch with particular impact defensively, snuffing out several potentially dangerous situations. A worthy stand-in for Caicedo, though his missed penalty proved costly.

SUB: Emanuel Emegha (68' for Welbeck)—6.0: Completed just two passes before missing what would have been the winning penalty on his Chelsea debut.

Subs not used: Teddy Sharman-Lowe (GK), Olutayo Subuloye, Mahdi Nicoll-Jazuli, Estêvão, Geovany Quenda.

What the Ratings Tell Us

The Numbers That Explain Chelsea's Narrow Defeat