Anfield plays host to a heavyweight Carabao Cup fourth-round encounter tonight as Liverpool welcome Chelsea to Merseyside. Beyond a spot in the quarter-finals ahead of the festive period, the fixture is charged with subplots ranging from Andoni Iraola’s sweeping tactical rotation to the emotional return of former Reds midfielder Xabi Alonso to the opposition dugout, and an intriguing transfer battle rekindled on the touchline.
With an unrelenting fixture list across domestic and European competitions, Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola has opted for a drastic overhaul of his starting eleven. Coming off Sunday’s hard-fought 2-0 victory over Brighton & Hove Albion, the Basque tactician has made seven changes, preserving only four starters to maintain squad freshness while giving top academy talents their moment on the big stage.
Heavy Rotation: Youth Meets Experience in Iraola’s Selection
Iraola’s lineup balances proven defensive leaders with an exuberant, highly rated attacking unit. Giorgi Mamardashvili takes his position between the posts, replacing Alisson, who sits on an exceptionally strong bench.
In defense, Ronald Araujo and captain Virgil van Dijk retain their central berths, providing stability alongside Joe Gomez and Kostas Tsimikas, who comes in for Milos Kerkez. The left-back’s absence opens the door for academy prospect Luke Chambers to take a seat among the substitutes.
Mamardashvili
Araujo Gomez Van Dijk Tsimikas
Gravenberch Nyoni
Ngumoha McConnell Gakpo
Koumas
The midfield engine room sees Ryan Gravenberch retain his spot, paired alongside young starlet Trey Nyoni in a deeper double pivot. Further forward, James McConnell is handed the playmaker duties in the No. 10 role behind a dynamic front line:
- Rio Ngumoha gets the nod on the right wing, offering direct pace and one-on-one threat.
- Cody Gakpo retains his position on the left flank as one of the four surviving starters from the weekend.
- Lewis Koumas leads the attack as the central striker, tasked with spearheading the press against Chelsea’s backline.
The Jeremy Jacquet Transfer Subplot
Named among Liverpool’s substitutes tonight is young defender Jeremy Jacquet, whose presence on the bench adds extra spice to tonight’s meeting with Chelsea.
Jacquet could easily have been wearing blue tonight had Liverpool not accelerated their push for him back in January.Chelsea were extremely keen on the French centre-back, who was rated highly internally at Stamford Bridge, but Jacquet ultimately chose the Reds over the West London club.
At the time, the move raised eyebrows particularly for a player who had made just 36 appearances in France’s Ligue 1 for Rennes. Liverpool had missed out on Marc Guéhi the previous summer during a difficult campaign, and former sporting director Richard Hughes was initially prepared to wait until the summer with Rennes unwilling to sanction a mid-season departure. However, Liverpool moved decisively on deadline day to secure his signature.
A few months into the new season, that faith appears well-placed, with Liverpool looking to have settled on a genuine defensive gem.
Firepower on the Bench
Despite the youthful complexion of the starting XI, Iraola has left nothing to chance. Liverpool’s substitutes’ bench features staggering depth, ensuring the manager can call upon world-class reinforcements should the game require a mid-match shift:
Liverpool Bench: Alisson (GK), Jacquet, Wirtz, Isak, Mac Allister, Barcola, Chiesa, Endo, Chambers.
With the likes of Jacquet, Florian Wirtz, Alexander Isak, Alexis Mac Allister, and Bradley Barcola waiting in the wings,Iraola possesses maximum flexibility to alter the game in the second half.
Confirmed Lineups
| Team | Position | Starting Eleven |
|---|---|---|
| Liverpool | GK | Giorgi Mamardashvili |
| DEF | Ronald Araujo, Joe Gomez, Virgil van Dijk (C), Kostas Tsimikas | |
| MID | Ryan Gravenberch, Trey Nyoni, James McConnell | |
| FWD | Rio Ngumoha, Lewis Koumas, Cody Gakpo | |
| Chelsea | GK | Mike Penders |
| DEF | Malo Gusto, Wesley Fofana, Maxence Lacroix, Caleb Wiley | |
| MID | Moises Caicedo, Romeo Lavia, Jordan Henderson | |
| FWD | Morgan Rogers, Pedro Neto, Danny Welbeck |
Xabi Alonso’s Return: “Of Course I Will Celebrate”
The primary headline surrounding tonight’s clash remains the return of Xabi Alonso. The 44-year-old former Liverpool midfielder took charge of Chelsea over the summer and steps onto the Anfield touchline as a visiting manager for the third time in three seasons having previously brought Bayer Leverkusen in 2024 and Real Madrid in 2025.
Alonso addressed the inevitable questions regarding his emotional connection to Anfield and whether he would restrain his emotions if the Blues find the back of the net:
“Of course, I will celebrate, for sure. With full respect because for sure, my warmth with Liverpool was there as a player. But now, I am in a different role, I need to support my team, I need to support my club, I fight for my club and if we score, I will celebrate with whole respect. That is the respect for my club and the respect for the opponent as well.”
The Chelsea boss faces a tactical puzzle of his own, managing workload while aiming to breach a Liverpool side that has strung together four consecutive victories in all competitions.
Basque Connection & Silverware Ambitions
Tonight also pits two lifelong friends against each other. Iraola and Alonso grew up together in the Basque region of Spain, coming through youth setups in the same area and playing both alongside and against one another over two decades.
Speaking ahead of the match, Iraola called Alonso a “close friend,” but personal ties will be set aside for 90 minutes. With both of Liverpool’s previous managers Jürgen Klopp and Arne Slot reaching the Carabao Cup final in their debut seasons, Iraola is keenly aware of the high expectations on Merseyside.
Match Overview & How to Watch
- Competition: Carabao Cup (League Cup) – Fourth Round
- Date & Kick-off: Wednesday, October 28, 2026 at 20:00 GMT
- Venue: Anfield, Liverpool
- UK Broadcast: Sky Sports Main Event & ITV1
- Live Streaming: Sky Go & ITVX
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