-
place
- Anfield
-
referee
- Darren England
Where to watch Liverpool-Chelsea: TV and online broadcasts
Liverpool v Chelsea kicks off at 20:00 GMT on Wednesday 28 October at Anfield.
The match is live on Sky Sports and ITV1 in the UK, with streaming also available on ITVX and the Sky Go app.
Fans overseas should check theirs holders of local EFL Cup television rights.
Liverpool-Chelsea preview
Xabi Alonso returns to Liverpool Wednesday night, but I probably would have expected a better build-up. Chelsea He comes into this EFL Cup last 16 tie on the back of a painful defeat at home to Tottenham, without Cole Palmer, and against a Liverpool side that has found its form.
Andoni Iraola’s side made it four wins in a row in all competitions with a 2-0 win at Brighton on Sunday. An own goal from Pascal Groß and a close-range finish from Alexander Isak settled it in the first half, with the result ultimately giving Liverpool their first Premier League home win of the season. It also lifted them to fourth place, two points above fifth-placed Chelsea.
Iraola is willing to rotate his squad given the number of games at this busy stage of the season.
He said: “For sure there will be changes, but we want to win the game, we want to be competitive.
“We have to see where the legs are and make some changes from match to match because it is almost mandatory.
“We want to be in the next round. We were unlucky in the draw because we play Chelsea. They were unlucky too.”
Chelsea’s afternoon at Stamford Bridge on Saturday was one to forget. Tottenham won 2-0, ending Chelsea’s two-match league winning streak, with goalkeeper Mike Penders at fault for one of the goals. To make matters worse, Palmer was sent off after receiving two yellow cards in the space of nine minutes.
With no European football this season, the EFL Cup represents Chelsea’s first chance at domestic silverware, and Alonso may take it more seriously than some of his rivals. Chelsea reached this stage by beating Luton Town and then Leeds United 6-3, although Alonso made nine changes for the Leeds game. Liverpool, meanwhile, made 10 changes and still beat Tottenham 3-1 in the last round.
It’s a busy week for both sides. Chelsea host Manchester United on Saturday, and Liverpool host Arsenal at Anfield on Sunday.
Liverpool-Chelsea team news
Florian Wirtz is Liverpool’s main doubt after going off against Brighton with an ankle sprain, while Dominik Szoboszlai and Victor Munoz are unlikely to play.
“We still have to wait,” Iraola said. “We train later. With Florian I’m pretty optimistic he’ll be available. Dom and Victor, I’m not so sure.
“I don’t want to say no, but I think it will be more difficult than Florian.”
Liverpool are still without Conor Bradley, Jeremie Frimpong and Hugo Ekitike. Giorgi Mamardashvili is expected to start in goal, and Joe Gomez and Kostas Tsimikas could also start.
For Chelsea, Palmer is serving a one-match ban following his red card against Spurs, and João Pedro is out for “a few weeks” with a knee injury. Emiliano Martinez remains absent, so Penders will keep his place in goal despite Saturday’s mistake.
Danny Welbeck and Estêvão Willian are the likely replacements for Palmer and João Pedro. Marco Palestra is pushing for a start, and Valentín Barco and Romeo Lavia could step into midfield. Wesley Fofana and Malo Gusto are also hoping to get a chance.
Lineups expected for Liverpool-Chelsea
Liverpool: Mamardashvili; Gómez, Jacquet, Endo, Tsimikas; Mac Allister, Gravenberch; Ngumoha, Nyoni, Barcola; it begins
Chelsea: Penders; Gusto, Fofana, Colwill, Palestra; Caicedo, Lavia, Barca; Estevao, Welbeck, Rogers
Liverpool-Chelsea recent form and statistics
- The clubs meet for the 202nd time in all competitions, with Liverpool winning 87 and losing 67.
- The last two EFL Cup meetings were in the 2022 and 2024 finals.
- Of their last 12 games played in this competition, Liverpool face London opposition for the eighth time.
- Liverpool’s last three defeats at Anfield in the League Cup have been inflicted by London sides: Chelsea (2018-19), Arsenal on penalties (2020-21) and Crystal Palace (2025-26).
Prediction Liverpool-Chelsea
Chelsea’s greater squad depth means they just have the upper hand, although don’t be surprised if that goes beyond the 90 minutes.
Liverpool
1-2
Chelsea
