What did Xabi Alonso say after the painful defeat to Liverpool?

29 October 2026, 14:12·52·Sport

The central clash of the English League Cup Round of 16 provided a true cup thriller at Anfield stadium. Chelsea, led by Xabi Alonso, bid farewell to the competition after an uncompromising away match against Liverpool.

In a game that ended in a 1-1 draw after regular time, the winner was decided by a penalty shootout. In the intense series, the Merseysiders prevailed 6-5 to secure a spot in the quarterfinals. After the match, the "Blues" manager Xabi Alonso gave an interview to the press, sharing his thoughts on the game and his team's performance.

Xabi Alonso: "In the penalty lottery, it always feels like someone is suffering"

In an interview with the BBC, the Chelsea head coach emphasized that his players put up a worthy resistance at a difficult venue like Anfield:

Penalties and the concept of justice: "Every time the fate of a match is decided by a penalty shootout, someone feels it is unfair to be knocked out. Both sides fought very well. A penalty shootout means any result can happen," the specialist said;
Game dynamics and equal struggle: "The players showed a high enough level to be competitive at Anfield. We conceded a goal due to a penalty, after which it became 1-1. Overall, both teams played equally," he added;
Mike Penders' reliable performance: Alonso also highly praised his goalkeeper's performance. Although the team could not create many dangerous situations upfront, Penders kept the Londoners in the game by making consistent saves at crucial moments;
Focus shifts to the Premier League: "This is football and it is part of our job. Now our main focus is on the Premier League. We have little time to recover because we have an early kickoff match on Saturday. Therefore, we must quickly focus on the next game."

Liverpool's next opponent is known

Having passed a complex test, Liverpool continues its journey in the tournament:

Quarterfinal clash: In the next round, the Merseysiders will face Bournemouth, who knocked Aston Villa out of the tournament with a big score;
Match schedule: The English League Cup quarterfinal matches are scheduled to take place during the week starting December 14.

Despite the failure in the cup, the high-quality performance at Anfield once again proved the strong competitiveness of Xabi Alonso's team ahead of upcoming important matches in the national championship.