As Chelsea and Liverpool meet in the EFL Cup, it’s time to take a look at the beginning of Xabi Alonso’s era at the club. On the surface, it had its highs, such as the 5-1 victory over Bournemouth, but it also followed, so that Tottenham lost while Cole Palmer picked up a red card. As the Blues look to return to Champions League glory, it is very apparent that they will be missing Enzo Fernandez following his departure to Manchester City in the summer. There wasn’t much that could have been done to save the Argentine, who wanted to follow his former manager to the Etihad, but the fallout was serious, as the only teams in the relegation race allow more goals per 90 minutes than Chelsea’s 1.71.
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With a Liverpool side that is resurgent under Andoni Iraola, the likes of Florian Wirtz and Bradley Barcola find themselves while Alexander Isak returns to his best, it is a challenge that could break the defense that is already struggling and run the cup at the end of the Blues, especially with Emi Martínez still sitting out with a broken jaw to upgrade the added defense.
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Date: Wednesday, Oct. 28 Time: 4 pm ET
Location: Anfield — Liverpool
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Cole Palmer will be suspended, while Joao Pedro and Reece James will also miss out on the competition, with Alonso already looking thin. Missing just one of his players would give Alonso tough decisions to make, but the entire group puts a weak defense at risk. At his best, Chelsea wants to be on the front foot with urgency, and his open defense can get back and stay in position when needed, thanks to Maxence Lacroix being able to combine with the backline. Frank usually stays as the attack progresses and can fly into arms to defend his guard.
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Lit dedicated to stories. With Martinez not in net, Chelsea’s other keepers lack command of the box. It wouldn’t be a huge problem if they didn’t give certain opportunities with the constant implicit. Add it all up, and while there has been clear improvement under Alonso, Chelsea will still have a long way to go to make it back into Europe’s premier competition.
Monaco have made some plans of their own by pulling off a deal to sell Lamine Camara to the Blues as Folarin Balogun looked set to go to Everton. While Camara has helped with these things, Alonso must also train the team to play more directly and rely on the strength of their front three. Giving up possession to a direct line reveals defensive mistakes, but that’s also something the Blues need to do at this stage, when scoring goals is the best form of defence.
When it is time to add more teams and use the money of this Fernandez, this could change, but until now, Chelsea are among the rarest teams in the world, which will lead an attractive bond with Liverpool. They need to win one thing, and what the numbers already show is to confirm the loss. The Blues cannot come out with it, because the team is not yet the champions of the League. All the signs point to them getting there, but this time it will have to be done before the schedule and for the competition from teams like Manchester United. With Aston Villa finishing in the ninth round, the table could look very different a month from now.