An old friend comes to visit
For this tie Xabi Alonso returns to Anfield again, but this time as Chelsea manager, having previously visited with Bayer Leverkusen and Real Madrid. His teams lost both matches without scoring, and he will be eager to improve that record against his former club.
Chelsea haven’t quite pulled up trees under Alonso so far. They beat Leeds United 6-3 in the previous round of the Carabao Cup, but their 2-0 home defeat against Tottenham at the weekend showed plenty of weaknesses.
Alonso will want a stronger setup and response at Anfield, although the absence of Joao Pedro in particular complicates things.
Liverpool, on the other hand, are finding their rhythm after a tough start to the season. Four consecutive victories have lifted the mood around Anfield, and Andoni Iraola will want his side to carry that momentum into this fixture.
Their latest success was the 2-0 victory over Brighton to break the Seagulls’ winning run in the Premier League. They have also shown resilience in Europe, coming from two goals down to beat Villarreal 4-3 in the Champions League. They equally beat Tottenham 3-1 in the previous round of the Carabao Cup to set up this meeting.
Liverpool may be influenced, though, by their busy schedule. Arsenal visit Anfield in the Premier League at the weekend, which means Iraola will have one eye on that fixture and may aim to rest some of his regular starters. Chelsea, who have no European fixtures this season, have the liberty instead to treat this competition very seriously.
Team News
Liverpool are without Conor Bradley, Hugo Ekitike, Jeremie Frimpong, Giovanni Leoni and Dominik Szoboszlai through injury. Florian Wirtz and Victor Munoz are doubts. Wirtz was withdrawn during the Brighton match with a foot problem, but Iraola has expressed optimism about his availability.
With Arsenal coming up at the weekend, Liverpool could rotate. Giorgi Mamardashvili is expected to start in goal, and Joe Gomez and Kostas Tsimikas are in contention for places in defence.
Rio Ngumoha and James McConnell could also feature, while Cody Gakpo and Lewis Koumas are options in attack.
Chelsea will be without Cole Palmer, suspended after his red card against Tottenham. Reece James and Emiliano Martinez are also unavailable through injury.
Joao Pedro has been ruled out for several weeks with a thigh injury. Jamie Gittens and Pep Chavarria are doubts, but Emmanuel Emegha is back in contention after recovering from a hamstring problem.
Estevao Willian could be handed a starting role. Danny Welbeck is expected to compete for the centre-forward position, after being effectively snubbed last weekend. Morgan Rogers, who started up front instead, is another option.
Predicted line-ups
Liverpool predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Mamardashvili; Araujo, Jacquet, Gomez, Kerkez; Nyoni, Mac Allister; Ngumoha, McConnell, Gakpo; Koumas.
Chelsea predicted XI (4-3-3): Penders; Gusto, Fofana, Colwill, Palestra; Caicedo, Lavia, Barco; Estevao, Welbeck, Rogers.
Date: Wednesday, 28 October 2026
Kick-off time: 8pm GMT / 4pm ET
Liverpool vs Chelsea match prediction
Liverpool 3-2 Chelsea
