Xabi Alonso shares his thoughts after Chelsea player has a tough first game against Liverpool
Xabi Alonso shared his thoughts on a very unusual first game for new Chelsea striker Emmanuel Emegha during their Carabao Cup match against Liverpool on Wednesday.
The match ended 1-1 after regular time at Anfield, with Morgan Rogers and Cody Gakpo both scoring penalties in the first half. The game went to a penalty shootout, where Liverpool won 6-5. Sadly for Chelsea, Wesley Fofana missed his shot, giving Liverpool the win after Joe Gomez scored confidently.
Liverpool will now face Bournemouth in the quarter-finals, a team managed by their former coach Andoni Iraola.
Emegha, making his Chelsea debut, had a tough night. He had the chance to score the winning penalty at 5-5 but his weak shot was easily saved by Liverpool’s goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili. This miss marked a tough start for the 23-year-old, who joined Chelsea in the summer from their partner club Strasbourg.
Emegha came on as a substitute in the 68th minute and played for 22 minutes. Not long after coming on, he had a strange moment when he charged into Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk for unclear reasons. Van Dijk looked both shocked and angry. This was surprising because Emegha is Dutch, and Van Dijk is his national team captain. Emegha had only a few touches of the ball and lost most of his duels before missing the penalty.
After the match, Alonso said the missed penalty was “an experience everyone has to learn from,” and he doesn’t regret anything. He added that it’s tough to make a debut in such a big moment, but what matters is learning from it, even if it was a sad experience. He said he’s already looking ahead to their next game against Manchester United.
Emegha was a quiet signing over the summer, joining on a long-term deal until 2033. He only made four starts last season in Ligue 1, mostly because of injury. The deal was completed in September 2025, but injuries have kept him from playing much, and he had only been in one matchday squad before this game.
According to The Athletic, Chelsea let Nicolas Jackson leave for Aston Villa because they believe Emegha can not only replace him but also do even better. Emegha’s last competitive start was back in April during the UEFA Conference League semi-final first leg, but with Joao Pedro’s injury, he might get more chances to play.
Alonso has said before that Emegha has “special qualities” and believes it will be really tough for defenders when he is fully fit and playing well.