⚽ EFL Carabao Cup 2026/27 Season

[DubemIfedigbo001]

What if Alonso had started the game with the big boys and only when he thought he has gotten the results he needed and then decides to sub them off for the second eleven and all of a sudden they started conceding goals and probably lose the match because this thing is very much possible.  Alonso should be aiming for at least one trophy this season with Chelsea and also qualify for the top 4. Starting with those players he did last night almost cost him and the team that game and he was lucky enough that Leeds United is one of those average teams in the premier league if not Chelsea would’ve probably paid dearly for it. Alonso shouldn’t try that against a more bigger opponent, this season Chelsea are not playing in the champions league and at such they have every opportunity to play with their big boys in every game especially when they’re fit. This is not time to gamble yet, Alonso should take every game seriously and aiming for a clean sheets as well because the amount of goals they’re conceding is becoming too much despite the fact that they’re scoring a lot of goals too.

Alonso has more experience than to remove all the playmakers at once, in such a scenario, they're removed gradually to ensure the team is still balanced and can withstand the pressure of the opponents. Anyways, he is the coach and he did what he thought was technically right for the team, albeit being a very risky approach to that game. Chelsea needed the win and they got it and that's what matters more. Maybe he underestimated Leeds that he put up that initial lineup, but seeing the first half performance, he had to make immediate adjustment as should any sensible coach.

[blue Snow]

Chelsea advance to the next round, and since they are not playing in the champions league this season I think they will take this competition seriously. For me I will consider Chelsea favorites to win this competition, because others big teams will busy with champions league fixture and Chelsea can use that advantage to win the tournament.

Yes, I think the same thing. The Carabao Cup and the FA Cup are great opportunities for Chelsea to win trophies this season, especially since other top teams likely aren’t taking these competitions seriously. After all, Xabi Alonso probably also realizes that winning the Premier League title is a daunting challenge, so the best course of action for Xabi, in addition to improving Chelsea’s performance and competing as well as possible in the Premier League to secure their rightful position by the end of the season, is to aim to win at least one trophy in his first season, and the Carabao Cup and FA Cup are Xabi and Chelsea’s chances to do just that.

[Showlove01]

This Chelsea team is so unpredictable man. 2 goal down and then a 6 : 2 comeback. I think this whole unpredictability credit goes to Xabi Alonso because he is good manager and they know how things goes changes. Xabi Alonso had a very good career in Bayer Leverkusen and then in Madrid so basically he has a very strong background and they know things very well but do you know where they failed when a team didn't give him much time which xabi Alonso want and I think Chelsea know this and they gonna give him enough time to make this team to the European competition and I hope if xabi Alonso remain the manager of Chelsea next season they can give minimum of 1 trophy and a good position in EPL. Like we see the 2009 to 2015 Chelsea.

I believed so much that Chelsea would win the game yesterday but the moment i saw the first half result i began to doubt my belief, i starting asking if this is same Chelsea of last season or they are the new one but to my greatest surprise they did not just came back to draw the game they even score the living day light out of Leeds. when i saw the 2 goals Leeds scored i concluded that they will win Chelsea because they normally win Chelsea but it was totally a different  story later. Alonso did not actually do well in Real Madrid that was why they sacked him but that does not mean he is not good.

[Female King]

This Chelsea team is so unpredictable man. 2 goal down and then a 6 : 2 comeback. I think this whole unpredictability credit goes to Xabi Alonso because he is good manager and they know how things goes changes. Xabi Alonso had a very good career in Bayer Leverkusen and then in Madrid so basically he has a very strong background and they know things very well but do you know where they failed when a team didn't give him much time which xabi Alonso want and I think Chelsea know this and they gonna give him enough time to make this team to the European competition and I hope if xabi Alonso remain the manager of Chelsea next season they can give minimum of 1 trophy and a good position in EPL. Like we see the 2009 to 2015 Chelsea.

I believed so much that Chelsea would win the game yesterday but the moment i saw the first half result i began to doubt my belief, i starting asking if this is same Chelsea of last season or they are the new one but to my greatest surprise they did not just came back to draw the game they even score the living day light out of Leeds. when i saw the 2 goals Leeds scored i concluded that they will win Chelsea because they normally win Chelsea but it was totally a different  story later. Alonso did not actually do well in Real Madrid that was why they sacked him but that does not mean he is not good.

It took chelsea courage to humiliate Leeds yesterday because the 2-0 win by Leeds is something that was supposed to neutralize their game plan but they didn't let that distract them. It was a remarkable come back from 2-0 to 6-3, i am convinced Alonso is cooking something in chelsea.

I can't say Alonso didn't do well with Real madrid last season in the la Liga because they didn't give him the opportunity to show his ability, I see that some players in Real madrid wasn't adhering to Alonso instructions, i was surprised to see xabi Alonso winning the Bundesliga title with Bayern Leverkusen so am convinced he would do more in Real madrid if giving time, i think he is going to change chelsea way of playing games.

[KingsDen]

Chelsea advance to the next round, and since they are not playing in the champions league this season I think they will take this competition seriously. For me I will consider Chelsea favorites to win this competition, because others big teams will busy with champions league fixture and Chelsea can use that advantage to win the tournament.

Yes, I think the same thing. The Carabao Cup and the FA Cup are great opportunities for Chelsea to win trophies this season, especially since other top teams likely aren’t taking these competitions seriously. After all, Xabi Alonso probably also realizes that winning the Premier League title is a daunting challenge, so the best course of action for Xabi, in addition to improving Chelsea’s performance and competing as well as possible in the Premier League to secure their rightful position by the end of the season, is to aim to win at least one trophy in his first season, and the Carabao Cup and FA Cup are Xabi and Chelsea’s chances to do just that.

I will also agree with you guys that Chelsea has a great opportunity to win both or either of the trophies above. Since it's only the two cups and EPL they are fighting for this season.

But it is not also as easy as we see it. Other teams who have good squad depth will compete for the titles also, so if Xavi Alonso is to win them, he should step up his game.
I perceive that there will be tough competition in England this season because of the inflow of new coaches who will in one way or the other try to prove themselves.

[knowngunman]

I will also agree with you guys that Chelsea has a great opportunity to win both or either of the trophies above. Since it's only the two cups and EPL they are fighting for this season.

But it is not also as easy as we see it. Other teams who have good squad depth will compete for the titles also, so if Xavi Alonso is to win them, he should step up his game.
I perceive that there will be tough competition in England this season because of the inflow of new coaches who will in one way or the other try to prove themselves.

Yes, Chelsea has a great opportunity but they surely can not achieve it with the way they are performing presently. The problem is we sometimes overlook the entire picture of the game and focus on the scoreline alone. Chelsea did pretty well on the scoreline, they scored six goals and that's impressive but they conceded three goals which is also worrisome. If you take a look at the overall statistics of yesterday match, Leeds United was actually the better side but luck wasn't on their side. Since the beginning of this season, Chelsea hasn't kept a cleanshit in overall competition they're participating in which is a sign of weak defense. They concede when they play against strong team, that's understandable but they concede against weak teams too, that should be concerning.

[kizilhare]

This Chelsea team is so unpredictable man. 2 goal down and then a 6 : 2 comeback. I think this whole unpredictability credit goes to Xabi Alonso because he is good manager and they know how things goes changes. Xabi Alonso had a very good career in Bayer Leverkusen and then in Madrid so basically he has a very strong background and they know things very well but do you know where they failed when a team didn't give him much time which xabi Alonso want and I think Chelsea know this and they gonna give him enough time to make this team to the European competition and I hope if xabi Alonso remain the manager of Chelsea next season they can give minimum of 1 trophy and a good position in EPL. Like we see the 2009 to 2015 Chelsea.

I believed so much that Chelsea would win the game yesterday but the moment i saw the first half result i began to doubt my belief, i starting asking if this is same Chelsea of last season or they are the new one but to my greatest surprise they did not just came back to draw the game they even score the living day light out of Leeds. when i saw the 2 goals Leeds scored i concluded that they will win Chelsea because they normally win Chelsea but it was totally a different  story later. Alonso did not actually do well in Real Madrid that was why they sacked him but that does not mean he is not good.

Chelsea may have rushed some transfers due to the two transfer bans they faced, but they are playing well for a newly formed team. As time goes on, Chelsea will play even better football.
Yesterday, despite falling behind 0–2 against Leeds in the League Cup, they won the match 6–3 and advanced to the next round.
I love the Premier League, but I have a special fondness for League Cup matches because so many of them turn into high-scoring shootouts.
There was only one goal in the first half of the Leeds match, but by the 17th minute of the second half, the score was already 4–2 in Chelsea's favor.
I believe Alonso has set winning the League Cup—at the very least—as a goal for this season.
Chelsea has the strength to achieve this.

[Crakryptvest]

I will also agree with you guys that Chelsea has a great opportunity to win both or either of the trophies above. Since it's only the two cups and EPL they are fighting for this season.

But it is not also as easy as we see it. Other teams who have good squad depth will compete for the titles also, so if Xavi Alonso is to win them, he should step up his game.
I perceive that there will be tough competition in England this season because of the inflow of new coaches who will in one way or the other try to prove themselves.

Of course no competition is easy, Chelsea has to work themselves out to lifting the trophy, the cup matches just started and I won't be in a hurry to finalize things other teams might suddenly start performing better, unquestionably the English premier League and other competitions in England will be competition this season as you indicated, Chelsea started very well this season, they only lost 1 match to Arsenal in the English premier League, they are still very strong in that competition, Xabi is welcome to England, he need to understand that competition in English are not as it is in other league side, which is why he needs to do more.

[Somto9Light]

I can't say Alonso didn't do well with Real madrid last season in the la Liga because they didn't give him the opportunity to show his ability, I see that some players in Real madrid wasn't adhering to Alonso instructions, i was surprised to see xabi Alonso winning the Bundesliga title with Bayern Leverkusen so am convinced he would do more in Real madrid if giving time, i think he is going to change chelsea way of playing games.

Alonso was trying his best at Real Madrid but the players were the problem just as they are still the problem till now. When Xabi Alonso was Real Madrid coach, he recorded some good winnings and the performance of the team didn't deteriorated but what just happened is that Real Madrid management was seeing it that he isn't giving them what they wanted which is to win consecutive matches. After they sacked him and hired Álvaro Arbeloa who couldn't also give them what they wanted and they sacked him and hired Jose Mourinho. Xabi Alonso was just belittled at Real Madrid because they felt that his experience is not enough to continue as Real Madrid coach but now that he is the head coach of a Premier League club Chelsea, he's already doing a nice job.

[KingsDen]

Yes, Chelsea has a great opportunity but they surely can not achieve it with the way they are performing presently. The problem is we sometimes overlook the entire picture of the game and focus on the scoreline alone. Chelsea did pretty well on the scoreline, they scored six goals and that's impressive but they conceded three goals which is also worrisome. If you take a look at the overall statistics of yesterday match, Leeds United was actually the better side but luck wasn't on their side. Since the beginning of this season, Chelsea hasn't kept a cleanshit in overall competition they're participating in which is a sign of weak defense. They concede when they play against strong team, that's understandable but they concede against weak teams too, that should be concerning.

I understand your complaints which is the rate at which Chelsea is conceding goals, but I think that it should not be a big concern because it's a problem that could easily be fixed. See why I said so;

• Every manager has their tactics, Alonso is more interested in opponents net than his own net. If he can out score you, he doesn't have a problem.
• The weak defence is a problem identified. One good signing could solve the problem.

So, I believe Chelsea is still a better team to contend but as we agreed, it isn't easy..m

[Zaguru12]

I understand your complaints which is the rate at which Chelsea is conceding goals, but I think that it should not be a big concern because it's a problem that could easily be fixed. See why I said so;

• Every manager has their tactics, Alonso is more interested in opponents net than his own net. If he can out score you, he doesn't have a problem.
• The weak defence is a problem identified. One good signing could solve the problem.

So, I believe Chelsea is still a better team to contend but as we agreed, it isn't easy..m

Let’s be realistic it’s a major concern for any team looking to actually win trophies, do you get the saying of Sir Alex Ferguson when he said that attack wins you games and defense wins you trophies. You can be scoring goals all the time but there goals you would concede that you cannot come back from. This current Chelsea defense and attack reminds me of Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool team then when he had a shitty defense and an attack of Firmino, Mane and Salah, they didn’t win anything until they got to sign Van Dijke and the likes of Robertson plus Allison Becker then and they went on to win the league and also the champions league.

Same thing is currently happening to Arsenal they have such a great defense that they had to take a team like PSG to the penalties in the champions league finals and also won the league. So for me Chelsea should actually look into their defense and not be like Manchester United who have had this issue for a very long time now.

[Callido]

Yes, I think the same thing. The Carabao Cup and the FA Cup are great opportunities for Chelsea to win trophies this season, especially since other top teams likely aren’t taking these competitions seriously. After all, Xabi Alonso probably also realizes that winning the Premier League title is a daunting challenge, so the best course of action for Xabi, in addition to improving Chelsea’s performance and competing as well as possible in the Premier League to secure their rightful position by the end of the season, is to aim to win at least one trophy in his first season, and the Carabao Cup and FA Cup are Xabi and Chelsea’s chances to do just that.

Chelsea can do it but not with full confidence. The game against Leeds showed us Chelsea are not the team yet, there is currently no squad depth, Xabi Alonso needs to use his Premier League squad to start in every league competition, unless the higher risk of losing the match.

Chelsea's aim should be finishing in the top four, or where they can qualify for the Champions League, I don't know whether they can win any trophy if they go against other big clubs in the competition, Chelsea still has many more improvements to make.

[Shussainshah]

This Chelsea team is so unpredictable man. 2 goal down and then a 6 : 2 comeback. I think this whole unpredictability credit goes to Xabi Alonso because he is good manager and they know how things goes changes. Xabi Alonso had a very good career in Bayer Leverkusen and then in Madrid so basically he has a very strong background and they know things very well but do you know where they failed when a team didn't give him much time which xabi Alonso want and I think Chelsea know this and they gonna give him enough time to make this team to the European competition and I hope if xabi Alonso remain the manager of Chelsea next season they can give minimum of 1 trophy and a good position in EPL. Like we see the 2009 to 2015 Chelsea.

I believed so much that Chelsea would win the game yesterday but the moment i saw the first half result i began to doubt my belief, i starting asking if this is same Chelsea of last season or they are the new one but to my greatest surprise they did not just came back to draw the game they even score the living day light out of Leeds. when i saw the 2 goals Leeds scored i concluded that they will win Chelsea because they normally win Chelsea but it was totally a different  story later. Alonso did not actually do well in Real Madrid that was why they sacked him but that does not mean he is not good.

It's not about the club but it's all about the manger. If manger is good they can give you victory but if they fail management can't do anything instead of sacking a manager. So xabi Alonso have a strong break ground they won the Bundesliga in their first season and surprisingly no one can defeat him in has first season then they come to Madrid and unfortunately they can't control the Madrid dressing room and then sacked off and now it's time for Chelsea and I think they can give some extraordinary number of results if Chelsea management give him much time because manager is good they don't have problems. The only problem is giving a time to the manager.

[Adbitco]

Chelsea can do it but not with full confidence. The game against Leeds showed us Chelsea are not the team yet, there is currently no squad depth, Xabi Alonso needs to use his Premier League squad to start in every league competition, unless the higher risk of losing the match.

Chelsea's aim should be finishing in the top four, or where they can qualify for the Champions League, I don't know whether they can win any trophy if they go against other big clubs in the competition, Chelsea still has many more improvements to make.

They have one less competition to participate in compared to the other too teams in the league, that's an added advantage to them and a little more time to rest players. I agree with you on them not having a squad depth but I'm still wondering why is that, this team has way more players on loan than any team in the entire top teams across the continent, if these players can't be utilised, why not sell them out outrightly, I wonder. I'm not expecting Alonso to win any trophy this season but at least he should be able to make the top 4 in his first season and next summer they can further strengthen the team especially at the back.

[Cityhunter34]

Chelsea odd was attractive to pick up but i was afraid and didn't add them on my bet, Xabi Alonso is doing a great job with Chelsea, with their performance yesterday i know they will do better this season, Palmer and Welbeck both got a brace for Chelsea last night.

Yes, the odd was quite attractive, but due to their last match many bettors couldn't make good use of the odds. I'm pretty sure that bettors who made use of it were quite disappointed when they were 2 goals down, because nobody expected such a comeback in the game.

It was absolutely the best performance so far for Chelsea, there's no doubt at all, because the result has proven something else for Chelsea. Let's see how it goes.

[Alonso_]

Chelsea can do it but not with full confidence. The game against Leeds showed us Chelsea are not the team yet, there is currently no squad depth, Xabi Alonso needs to use his Premier League squad to start in every league competition, unless the higher risk of losing the match.

Chelsea's aim should be finishing in the top four, or where they can qualify for the Champions League, I don't know whether they can win any trophy if they go against other big clubs in the competition, Chelsea still has many more improvements to make.

They have one less competition to participate in compared to the other too teams in the league, that's an added advantage to them and a little more time to rest players. I agree with you on them not having a squad depth but I'm still wondering why is that, this team has way more players on loan than any team in the entire top teams across the continent, if these players can't be utilised, why not sell them out outrightly, I wonder. I'm not expecting Alonso to win any trophy this season but at least he should be able to make the top 4 in his first season and next summer they can further strengthen the team especially at the back.

I see some Chelsea fans are saying Chelsea has the best attack in the Premier League right now, and I was wondering and laughing why they feel that just after 4 games played in the Premier League and Carabao Cup, Chelsea should be fighting to win the Premier League and not only qualifying for the Champions League next season, do you know how much money Chelsea bought Morgan Rodgers, you don’t buy players in that amount and you’re not expected to fight for the Premier League Title, Chelsea can’t win the Premier League considering their performance against Arsenal during the weekend, it was a poor performance after scoring the first goal.

Chelsea doesn’t have squad depth in the Midfield area, they’re just one injury away from having a midfield crisis, how do you sell your best midfielder to Manchester City and you end up not replacing him, Chelsea should’ve brought in a replacement for Enzo Fernandez before selling him.

I liked what Athletico Madrid did to Barcelona with Julian Alvarez, because how do you sell your best player to your direct rivals to make them stronger, that is something Crazy.