Alonso calls Carabao Cup 'least important competition' after Chelsea's Anfield penalty exit

Xabi Alonso conceded the Carabao Cup was Chelsea’s “least important competition” after his side were eliminated in the fourth round at Anfield on Wednesday, beaten on penalties following a 1-1 draw. Wesley Fofana was the man to miss in sudden death, blazing his effort into the Kop end to end Chelsea’s first chance of silverware this season.

Alonso was unusually candid in his post-match assessment, making clear where the League Cup sits in his hierarchy of priorities. “It’s a small setback in this competition. It’s probably the least important competition for us in the year, so we need to move on,” he said. “As soon as we leave Anfield, our focus is Saturday’s Premier League game. This is the main and the most important thing.”

While most managers publicly insist they want to win every available trophy, Alonso broke from that convention without hesitation. The Carabao Cup carries the least prestige of the major domestic trophies, and top clubs routinely rotate their squads for its earlier rounds in a way they rarely would in the FA Cup.

Chelsea have won the competition five times in their history, most recently in 2015 under José Mourinho — more than a decade ago. Alonso himself never lifted the trophy during his playing career in England.

The defeat arrives at a difficult moment for the Chelsea head coach. His side had started the season with momentum but have since struggled for consistency, suffering a home defeat to Tottenham at the weekend — only Spurs’ second Premier League win of the campaign.

Alonso was looking for a performance at Anfield even if the result went against him, and he felt he got one. “The outcome is not what we wanted. It is not what we expected before the game,” he said. “But I would say that the game we played to a very good competitive level, good performance. We showed an improvement, I would say. That’s what we wanted.”

Attention now turns to Saturday’s Premier League fixture as Alonso attempts to arrest the dip in form that has followed Chelsea’s bright opening to the season.