XABI ALONSO SAYS HE WILL CELEBRATE CHELSEA GOAL AGAINST LIVERPOOL

Xabi Alonso said he would celebrate if Chelsea score against his former club Liverpool in their Carabao Cup tie at Anfield. “Of course, I will celebrate, for sure,” he said before the match. Alonso said he retains warmth for Liverpool from his time there as a player but now supports Chelsea. Chelsea will travel without Joao Pedro, who injured his thigh in training before Saturday’s 2-0 defeat by Tottenham Hotspur at Stamford Bridge.

Joao Pedro is expected to miss several weeks, including Premier League matches against Manchester United and Sunderland. His absence leaves Chelsea with Danny Welbeck and Emmanuel Emegha as their two recognised strikers. Emegha has yet to appear for Chelsea since his summer move from Strasbourg. Welbeck came on in the 88th minute against Tottenham, while Alonso used Morgan Rogers as a false nine. Alonso said he would celebrate a Chelsea goal “with whole respect” for Liverpool.

Alonso spent five years at Liverpool and won the FA Cup and the 2005 Champions League with the club. He scored Liverpool’s equaliser against AC Milan in the Champions League final in Istanbul. Alonso said he knew of Liverpool’s managerial vacancy in 2024 while he was at Bayer Leverkusen. “I decided to stay. That was my decision at the time,” he said.