Xabi Alonso returns to Anfield as Chelsea boss tonight hoping his side can bounce back from their poor performance against Tottenham at the weekend and secure a place in the EFL Cup quarter-finals.Spurs cruised to a 2-0 victory at Stamford Bridge on Saturday evening with the hosts looking completely out of sorts and their frustration boiled over when Cole Palmer was sent-off for two yellow cards.Alonso has taken two teams to Liverpool before Bayer Leverkusen and Real Madrid and lost on both occasions.Liverpool have won their last four in all competitions and are gathering pace under Andoni Iraola.Their latest success came at home to Brighton at the weekend with a Pascal Gro own goal and a close-range finish from Alexander Isak settling the contest in the first half.LIVERPOOL TEAM NEWSOnly Ronald Araujo, Virgil van Dijk, Ryan Gravenberch and Cody Gakpo retain their places from the XI that started against Brighton.Youngsters James McConnell, Trey Nyoni, Rio Ngumoha and Lewis Koumas all come in.Liverpool are still without Conor Bradley, Jeremie Frimpong and Hugo Ekitike.Liverpool: Mamardashvili; Gomez, Araujo, Van Dijk, Tsimikas; McConnell, Gravenberch, Nyoni; Gakpo, Ngumoha, KoumasLiverpool substitutes: Alisson, Endo, Jacquet, Wirtz, Isak, Mac Allister, Chiesa, Barcol, ChambersCHELSEA TEAM NEWSAlonso makes four changes to the side that faced Spurs with Wesley Fofana, Malo Gusto, Romeo Lavia and Danny Welbeck coming in. Levi Colwill, Jorrel Hato, Geovany Quenda drop out while Cole Palmer is suspended.Jo�o Pedro is out for a few weeks with a knee injury while goalkeeper Emiliano Martnez is still absent, so Mike Penders keeps his place in goal despite his error on Saturday.Chelsea: Penders; Acheampong, Fofana, Lacroix; Gusto, Neto, Caicedo, Lavia, Henderson; Rogers, WelbeckChelsea substitutes: Sharman-Lowe, Colwill, Subuloye, Palestra, Barco, Nicoll-Jazuli, Estevao, Quenda, EmeghaWhere to Watch Liverpool v Chelsea: TV and online streamsLiverpool versus Chelsea kicks off at8pm GMT on Wednesday, October 28at Anfield.The match is live onSky Sports and ITV1in the UK, with streaming also available onITVX and the Sky Go app.Supporters overseas should check theirlocal EFL Cup TV rights holders.Recent Form & Stats for Liverpool v ChelseaThe clubs are meeting for the 202nd time in all competitions, with Liverpool winning 87 and losing 67.The last two encounters in the EFL Cup were in the finals of 2022 and 2024.Of their last 12 ties played in this competition, Liverpool are facing opposition from London for the eighth time.Liverpools last three Anfield defeats in the League Cup have all been inflicted by London teams Chelsea (2018-19), Arsenal on penalties (2020-21) and Crystal Palace (2025-26). Topics Carabao Cup Chelsea F.C. EFL Cup Liverpool F.C. If you enjoy reading this article, you can help support our independent football journalism by adding 101 Great Goals as a preferred source You Should Also Read LIVE Manchester City v Brighton: Commentary, updates, goals and stats Jon Fisher 28th October, 2026 Manchester City v Brighton: Confirmed team news and line-ups Jon Fisher 28th October, 2026 EFL Cup draw: Quarter-final lowdown including time, TV channel and stream Ben Miller 28th October, 2026 Liverpool v Chelsea: Preview, expected line-ups, stats and where to watch Jon Fisher 28th October, 2026 Manchester City v Brighton: Preview, expected line-ups, stats and where to watch Ben Miller 28th October, 2026 Fleetwood goalkeeper Lynch: We took inspiration from Grimsby beating Manchester United last year Cian Cheesbrough 27th October, 2026
