Liverpool vs Chelsea
Liverpool vs Chelsea Preview
Xabi Alonso is heading back to Anfield, and you can already sense the narrative writing itself. The former Liverpool midfielder returns to his old stamping ground for the third time as a manager, but this one feels different — this time he’s in the Chelsea dugout, trying to pick his side up off the floor after a genuinely woeful weekend display. This is a cup tie, sure, but there’s plenty riding on it for both camps. Liverpool want to keep the momentum going and reach the quarter-finals. Chelsea need a response, and fast, before the doubts start to creep in under their new gaffer.
The Blues saw off Luton and Leeds to get here, which sounds fine until you remember that Spurs — yes, Spurs — came to Stamford Bridge at the weekend and absolutely battered them 2-0. Roberto De Zerbi’s men could have had more, and that scoreline flattered Chelsea. That’s the backdrop Alonso is working against. Meanwhile, Iraola’s Liverpool have been putting together a seriously impressive run of form and go into this one with real confidence and depth in the squad. Anfield on a Wednesday night under the lights against a rattled Chelsea side? Liverpool will be licking their lips.
There’s also the small matter of Alonso’s Anfield record. In his previous two visits as a manager — with Leverkusen and Real Madrid — he’s shipped five goals and scored none. Two defeats, zero goals. If that tells you anything about how this ground treats him when he’s in the other dugout, it’s that he hasn’t cracked this particular nut yet. Liverpool know it. Chelsea know it. And the Kop will remind everyone about it for the full 90.
Liverpool vs Chelsea Form
Liverpool’s only blip this season came against Manchester City, a 3-0 defeat that was heavily shaped by Ryan Gravenberch seeing red with about half an hour left when the game was still goalless. That context matters. Since then, the Reds have reeled off four wins on the bounce: a comeback victory over nine-man Brentford, a 6-3 battering of LASK Linz in Europe, a dramatic 4-3 Champions League win over Villarreal after being two down inside half an hour, and Sunday’s clean-sheet 2-0 win over Brighton. That last result was notable because it was their first shutout in five games. The defensive foundations are tightening just at the right moment.
Chelsea, by contrast, are running hot and cold in a way that’s making it hard to pin down who they actually are right now. The Everton away win last week had people thinking they were clicking into gear. Then Spurs rocked up at the Bridge and it fell apart completely. Getting outplayed at home by Spurs, and conceding their first Stamford Bridge win to them since 2018 — that stings. Alonso has quality in that squad, no question, but there’s clearly a fragility there that hasn’t been sorted out yet. A trip to Anfield in this form is about as tough a test as they could face.
The contrast in momentum could hardly be more stark. Liverpool are hitting their stride, winning games from multiple positions and showing real character when things go against them. Chelsea are on the back foot mentally and now have a depleted squad heading into this one. If form means anything, the Reds look nailed on to progress.
Liverpool vs Chelsea Head to Head
These two never short-change you when they meet. The head-to-head record between Liverpool and Chelsea is about as competitive as it gets between two top-six sides, but the key detail here is Anfield. Liverpool have a strong home record against Chelsea in recent years, and that ground gives them a genuine edge. The atmosphere, the crowd, the sheer intensity of the place — it suits Iraola’s high-energy style down to the ground. Cup ties at Anfield have a habit of getting feisty, and Chelsea are going to need to show a resilience they completely failed to produce at the weekend.
Alonso’s personal Anfield record as a manager is the other thread worth pulling on. Two visits, two defeats, five goals conceded, none scored. That’s a rough record for someone whose sides are generally well-organised and hard to break down. There’s something about this ground that’s chewed him up both times, and you’d have to say nothing about this Chelsea trip suggests that’s about to change. History and venue both point the same way on Wednesday night.
Liverpool vs Chelsea Lineups
Iraola will rotate here, with one eye firmly on Sunday’s Premier League clash with Arsenal. Alisson and Virgil van Dijk could both be given the night off, which is a sensible call given what’s coming at the weekend. Bradley Barcola might be rested too, especially with Florian Wirtz carrying a foot concern after coming off against Brighton — though the German played down the severity in his post-match comments. Expect Cody Gakpo to lead the line, with the exciting Rio Ngumoha likely to get game time after setting up two goals against Villarreal last week. James McConnell and Lewis Koumas could both start in the middle of the park. Even a rotated Liverpool side has serious quality running through it.
Chelsea are in a worse position injury-wise. Cole Palmer is suspended after his red card against Spurs, which is a huge blow — he’s the creative heartbeat of this side. Reece James and Emiliano Martinez are both out through injury, and there are question marks over Joao Pedro, Pep Chavarria, Emmanuel Emegha and Jamie Gittens, who will all be assessed before the trip north. Estevao Willian is expected to come into the attack and could get his first start in over a month after a 45-minute outing in the Leeds tie. Alonso needs big performances from his fringe players on a night when his first-choice options are either injured, suspended, or simply unavailable.
Liverpool vs Chelsea Tactics
Iraola’s Liverpool press hard, transition quickly and can hurt you in multiple ways. Even with a rotated lineup, the structure stays the same — high defensive line, compact shape when defending, and direct vertical runs when they win the ball back. Gakpo is well-suited to leading the press, and Ngumoha offers pace and directness in behind. If Chelsea try to build from the back — which Alonso tends to prefer — they could find themselves under serious pressure early on without the ball-playing quality that Palmer would normally provide to help them escape it.
Chelsea will likely sit in and try to frustrate Liverpool, making themselves hard to break down and looking for counter-attacks through Estevao and whoever comes in alongside him. Without Palmer, the creative burden falls on players who are still finding their feet at this level or coming back from injury. Alonso might try to stay solid for 60 minutes and force a penalty shootout situation, but Liverpool’s squad depth and home advantage make that a difficult game plan to execute over a full 90. The Reds have shown they can break teams down even on off-nights this season, and against a Chelsea side this short of key personnel, that ability feels significant.
Liverpool vs Chelsea Prediction and Betting Tips
Liverpool to win and both teams to score is the tempting shout in a game like this, but the cleaner call is a straightforward home win. Even with rotation, Liverpool are in excellent form, playing at home, and facing a Chelsea side missing Palmer, James, Martinez and potentially several others. Alonso’s record at Anfield as a manager tells its own story, and nothing about Wednesday’s circumstances suggests a change in that pattern. The Reds should have enough to see this off comfortably and keep their cup run going.
The tip here is Liverpool to win. They have the form, the home advantage, the squad depth and the psychological edge going into this one. Chelsea are too patchy, too depleted, and too deflated from the weekend to cause a major upset here. Back the Reds to progress.