According to a report by Flashscore on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, Chelsea suffered a disappointing elimination from the Carabao Cup after Liverpool defeated them 6-5 on penalties following a 1-1 draw at Anfield.

The fourth-round encounter saw Chelsea take the lead through Morgan Rogers in the 40th minute before Cody Gakpo equalised for Liverpool three minutes later.

Despite remaining competitive throughout the encounter, Chelsea failed to secure victory during regulation time and eventually lost the penalty shootout.

Following the defeat, attention has turned towards some of the decisions made by Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso, particularly his team selection and approach to the attacking department.

One decision that deserves considerable scrutiny was Alonso's choice to leave Brazilian youngster Estevao Willian out of the starting lineup despite Chelsea's need for attacking creativity.

The Chelsea manager selected Danny Welbeck, Pedro Neto and Morgan Rogers as his attacking options, while Estevao was named among the substitutes.

Although the decision provided opportunities for other players, it also meant Chelsea began the encounter without one of their most technically gifted young attackers.

Estevao possesses impressive dribbling ability, creativity and the confidence to challenge opposition defenders in dangerous areas.

His presence from the beginning could potentially have offered Chelsea another attacking dimension against Liverpool's defensive setup.

The decision became particularly questionable because Chelsea were without Cole Palmer, who was unavailable through suspension, while Joao Pedro was also absent because of injury.

With two important attacking players unavailable, starting Estevao could have provided Chelsea with additional creativity and unpredictability in the final third.

Alonso instead maintained his preference for a more experienced attacking combination, hoping that the selected players would provide the necessary quality to overcome Liverpool.

However, the match eventually ended 1-1 after 90 minutes, with Chelsea unable to find the winning goal despite having attacking alternatives available on the bench.

Another aspect of Alonso's decision-making that could be questioned was his handling of substitutions.

The Chelsea manager introduced Emmanuel Emegha for Danny Welbeck in the 68th minute, while Marco Palestra and Valentin Barco also entered the contest.

However, Estevao remained an unused substitute, even as Chelsea searched for a goal that could have prevented the match from reaching penalties. 

This decision arguably represented a missed opportunity to introduce a player capable of troubling Liverpool's defenders through individual skill and attacking movement.

Liverpool, meanwhile, strengthened their attacking options by introducing Florian Wirtz and Bradley Barcola in the 59th minute, with Alexander Isak also entering the encounter later.

The contrasting approaches raised questions about whether Alonso should have been more adventurous with his attacking substitutions.

Although there is no guarantee Estevao would have scored or created the winning goal, his introduction could have given Liverpool another attacking threat to contain.

Chelsea eventually lost the penalty shootout after Wesley Fofana missed the decisive attempt, allowing Liverpool to progress to the quarter-finals.

The defeat cannot be attributed entirely to Alonso's team selection, especially considering the penalty conceded during regulation time and the missed opportunities in the shootout.

Nevertheless, leaving Estevao on the bench throughout the encounter stands out as one of the manager's most debatable decisions.

For a Chelsea side already missing important attacking players, introducing the Brazilian youngster might have provided the creativity needed to secure victory before penalties.

Alonso will now face questions about his attacking selections as Chelsea prepare for their upcoming Premier League encounter against Manchester United.

The result serves as a reminder that tactical decisions and substitutions can play an important role in determining the outcome of closely contested knockout matches.