Xabi Alonso described Chelsea's Carabao Cup exit to Liverpool on penalties as "harsh," but insisted the competition is the least important of the season for his side. The former Reds midfielder saw his team beaten 6-5 on spot kicks at Anfield on Wednesday night.
Fine Margins Decide Anfield Clash
Cody Gakpo cancelled out Morgan Rogers' opener in the first half, with both goals coming from the penalty spot. Liverpool prevailed in the shoot-out when Wesley Fofana hit the post.
"Every time you reach the penalties, someone will feel it is harsh to go out of the competition," Alonso said. "It was really close from both sides. Penalties mean it is open to anything."
"They have performed at a good enough level to compete at Anfield. We conceded the penalty and it was even. The game was really close for both sides."
Goalkeeper Impresses Despite Defeat
Alonso praised goalkeeper Mike Penders for a "solid performance" during the match.
"It has been a solid performance from [goalkeeper] Mike Penders. We didn't concede many chances but he was quite stable and solid with his performances. That was really important in the first half for us," he added.
"Well for sure the outcome is not what we wanted. It is not what we expected before the game. You know once you reach the penalties, there's going to be a sad side. This is us in that case."
Focus Shifts to Premier League
Despite the disappointment, Alonso highlighted the positives from the performance and the need to move on quickly.
"But I would say that the game we have played to a very good competitive level, good performance. We showed an improvement, I would say. That's what we wanted," he said.
"We played with courage. The game was really, really close. It could have gone either way. Not many chances for both sides."
"But it's a small setback in this competition. It's probably the least important competition for us in the year, so we need to move on. And as soon as we leave Anfield, our focus is Saturday, is Premier League. This is the main and the most important thing."
Alonso, who won the Champions League and FA Cup during his five years at Anfield, added: "This is football. It is part of our job. We were showing a good level and this is what it takes to come to these stadiums. The Premier League is the main focus."
"We don't have much time to recover because the game is Saturday, early kick-off so we need to change the mindset quite quickly."
