Alonso: Carabao Cup trip to Anfield is make or break

Chelsea manager Xabi Alonso has framed Wednesday's Carabao Cup fourth-round tie at Liverpool as a must-win occasion, saying the knockout format leaves no room for error at Anfield.

Alonso made four changes from the weekend's Premier League fixture, fielding a strong line-up for the cup tie — a clear signal of how much weight he places on the competition.

"The cups are important for us this year and for sure we face today a good challenge," Alonso said. "We are coming to Anfield and we want to be in the next round."

The match also gives Chelsea an immediate opportunity to respond to their 2-0 defeat to Tottenham Hotspur last time out in the league. The visit to Merseyside is the second in less than two weeks for the Blues, who sit fifth in the Premier League table after eight matches.

"It's another competition," Alonso added. "We know that we are playing in another format, knowing what it takes. It's make or break. So we want to make it happen today, knowing that we need to have a great performance."

Alonso acknowledged the particular demands of a one-off knockout game at a ground where the atmosphere can shift momentum quickly. "In one game, there can be different little games that you need to deal with, with the energy that is created. But these players, they have played a few times already here. They know what it takes and hopefully we show it today."