Chelsea's Defensive Problems Under Alonso Face Big Test at Liverpool

Chelsea face Liverpool in the EFL Cup at Anfield on Wednesday, Oct. 28, with kickoff at 4 p.m. ET, and the match offers a useful checkpoint on the start of Xabi Alonso's time in charge at Stamford Bridge. The early weeks have brought both highs and lows, including a 5-1 win over Bournemouth and a defeat to Tottenham in which Cole Palmer was sent off.

As the Blues aim to get back into the Champions League, the absence of Enzo Fernandez is being felt. The Argentine left for Manchester City over the summer, choosing to follow his former manager to the Etihad, and there was little Chelsea could have done to keep him. The consequences have been significant: only sides in the relegation battle are conceding more goals per 90 minutes than Chelsea's 1.71.

Liverpool, meanwhile, appear to be finding their form under Andoni Iraola. Florian Wirtz and Bradley Barcola are settling in, and Alexander Isak is returning to his best. That attacking group could be a serious problem for a back line that has already struggled, and it could end Chelsea's cup run. Emi Martinez, signed from Aston Villa to strengthen the defense, remains out with a broken jaw.

Alonso's squad is also stretched. Palmer is suspended, while Joao Pedro and Reece James are both unavailable. Losing any one of them would force difficult choices, and missing all three leaves an already thin group exposed. The match will be streamed on Paramount+, and the odds list Liverpool at +120, a draw at +275 and Chelsea at +185.

When Chelsea are at their best, they press high and play on the front foot. Their open-play defending has held up when needed, largely because Maxence Lacroix organizes the back line. The Frenchman tends to stay deep when the team attacks and steps into tackles to protect the goalkeeper.

Set pieces are the real weakness. With Martinez out, Chelsea's other goalkeepers have struggled to command the penalty area. That would matter less if the team were not conceding so many set-piece chances through repeated fouling. There has been clear progress under Alonso, but the gap to Europe's top competition remains wide.

Chelsea's summer business also hit a snag. Monaco withdrew from a deal to sell Lamine Camara to the Blues, at a time when Folarin Balogun appeared headed to Everton. Camara would have helped with these problems. Alonso, the analysis suggests, should also set the team up to play more directly and rely on the strength of his front three. Giving up possession exposes defensive flaws, but scoring goals is Chelsea's best form of protection at this stage.

More squad additions, funded by the Fernandez fee, could change the picture. Until then, Chelsea remain one of the more unusual sides around, which makes the Liverpool tie intriguing. They need a win, and a loss would back up what the numbers already show: this is not yet a Champions League team.

All signs suggest Chelsea will get there, but doing so this season would be ahead of schedule and would depend partly on struggles elsewhere, including at Manchester United. Aston Villa are improving and sit ninth, so the table could look very different a month from now.