Chelsea are out of the Carabao Cup after losing 6-5 on penalties to Liverpool at Anfield. What will make this result more frustrating for the Blues is the fact that they are not competing in Europe this season, and now realistically only have one trophy to play for this season - the FA Cup.
Morgan Rogers gave Xabi Alonso’s side a first-half lead from the spot, but Cody Gakpo quickly did the same, equalising moments later after Wesley Fofana comitted a silly handball offence in the box.
With no further goals, the tie was settled from 12 yards, where again, Fofana was in the spotlight for the wrong reasons, blasting over the decisive kick during sudden death. It marked the fifth consecutive penalty shoot-out defeat for Chelsea gainst Liverpool, adding to a catalogue that includes the 2007 Champions League semi-final, the 2019 Super Cup and the 2022 FA and League Cup finals.
It was a slightly improved performance from the weekend disaster against Spurs, but Alonso will come under the spotlight again for his substitution and lineup choices, particurarly with Estevao Willian not seeing any minutes despite the absence of Cole Palmer and Joao Pedro through suspension and injury.
What has Alonso said on Estevao?
Alonso was pressed by journalists in the post match presser on the situation of the talented Brazilian, and it seems like the main issue the Chelsea boss has is with his physicality.
Alonso said: "For sure, I understand his situation and he could be happier for sure. He wants to play and to be part of the team. There will be moments for everything. I'm sure Este will have his moments - that's my responsibility. We were quite forced [with subs] in the end"
He continued: "We know that the Premier League and games in England are very intense. You need to be up for it. Este is in his second season, he had that injury. It's not going to be long"
While it is good to finally hear Alonso signal that it won't be too many more games before Chelsea fans get to see the talent of Estevao more often, it does not excuse the prior treatment.
It is acceptable and a valid point that Estevao has struggled with the physicality of matches at times, but no sensible fan is asking for him to start every single match. What fans are asking for however, is for Estevao to be given regular chances off the bench, especially in matches like today where Chelsea found themsleves in good attacking scenarios, but lacked that bit of spark in the final third.
While Pedro Neto provides good balance for the side, and has been in better goal contributing form as of late, it would not have been harsh to say that you forgot he was on the pitch tonight.
Alonso is a walking contradiction. There could not be a more intense side and game than Arsenal away. Yet, in just the second game of the season, he brought him off the bench and despite having only a handful of minutes to make an impact, Estevao nearly equalised with a curling shot from the left hand side which forced a wonder save from Raya.
Fan Reaction to Estevao's situation
Estevao is one of the most loved, supported and popular players across both matchgoing and online sections.
Asked to warm up in the first half, and twice in the second, Estevao was met with chants of support from the away end, referencing his nickname 'Steve', that fans gave him.
Though it is not Alonso's job to pander to fans, even he must be acutely aware of the history of turnovers. It does not take long, rightly or wrongly, for fans to turn, and this will be no different.
It would again also be fatcual to say, rightly or wrongly, that Alonso's past time as an ex-liverpool man will effect how harshly he is judged by matchgoers. It will also not have been lost on fans that although not at Anfield, Estevao scored the winner against Liverpool in the Premier League last season.
The last thing Alonso wants is an early season clash between fans and himself. By utilising the squad fully and fairly, fans will not have any room to question his man management skills.
How bad really is it?
Pretty bad. The last time Estevao played longer than 45 minutes in a match this season was against Luton in the last round of the Carabao Cup.
In the Premier League, Estevao has featured for longer than ten minutes just once, in a game where Chelsea practically played zero actual Football, resorting to long balls. The full breakdown is as follows:
7 mins vs Fulham
80 mins vs Luton
0 mins vs Brighton
9 mins vs Arsenal
45 mins vs Leeds
4 mins vs Hull
3 mins vs Brentford
6 mins vs Bournemouth
0 mins vs Everton
18 mins vs Spurs
0 mins vs Liverpool
It is hard for a player to impress with this little backing and belief from his coach. And when he has, such as the Arsenal match, he featured even less in the following league match against Hull.
Is there any long term doubt for Estevao?
There is no evidence to suggest that Estevao will be leaving any time soon, despite the lack of features this season. While frustrating, it is still early on in the season, and Alonso has re-iterated this point several times.
Club sources point to the contract length. The Brazilian is contracted until 2033, and it would take heavy pushing and a large offer for anything to change.
As of now, it is simply a case of fans wanting the best for the team, with the large majority calling for the player to get more chances. It probably came as a shock to most that he still did not start, even though rotation was made, with the likes of Romeo Lavia, Danny Welbeck, Malo Gusto and Wesley Fofana got chances from the cold.
Up next for Chelsea is Manchester United, who surprisingly will be arriving with Michael Carrick in charge. A depleted United side who are struggling for confidence and an overall identity sounds like a perfect game for Alonso to give Estevao a proper chance in the Premier League.
