Chelsea Morning Round-Up, Thursday 29th October 2026: Blues Exit Carabao Cup on Penalties at Anfield
Chelsea's Carabao Cup run came to an end at Anfield as the fourth round tie with Liverpool finished 1-1 before the hosts won 6-5 on penalties (We Ain't Got No History) (ChelseaFC.com) (ChelseaFC.com) (ChelseaFC.com). Football.London's player ratings from the shootout defeat made for mixed reading, with Morgan Rogers struggling and one player handed just a 3/10 (Football.London). The club's own video output covered the pain of the night too, with a player describing it as "a bitter way to leave the competition" (ChelseaFC.com). Among the talking points from Anfield was a bizarre clash involving Estevao and Virgil van Dijk, which added to the post-match uproar (Football.London), while the missed spot-kick from Barco has reignited debate about the much-discussed "stutter" run-up technique that some have called naive (BBC Sport).
Xabi Alonso fronted up afterwards, speaking live to the press about the Liverpool defeat, Estevao's lack of involvement and a Lacroix injury concern (Football.London) (Football.London). The official club site also carried fresh fitness updates from Alonso on Caicedo, Gusto and Lacroix (ChelseaFC.com). Away from the first team, BBC Sport looked at why Estevao appears to have become something of a forgotten man under Alonso, with limited minutes amid strong form from others in attack (BBC Sport).
On the transfer front, Football.London reports Chelsea have been given a green light to move for a Barcelona star, with Alonso also said to have delivered a message on Alex Scott's future as the club continue looking for cover following Enzo Fernandez's summer move to Manchester City (Football.London).
The women's team continue to impress, with BBC Sport noting their unbeaten run has been built on the back of a 2-0 Women's Champions League win over Roma (BBC Sport). The Under-19s, meanwhile, drew 2-2 away at Flora in UEFA Youth League action (ChelseaFC.com).
Looking ahead, Chelsea turn to the Premier League and a trip to face Manchester United on Saturday, with Football.London reporting United boss Michael Carrick has had a boost in training but will still be without Manuel Ugarte, Benjamin Sesko and Luke Shaw for that one (Football.London).
This round-up is written with the help of AI, using only the day's headlines from the publishers credited above. Each point links to the original report — tap the source name to read it in full.