Chelsea Player Ratings: Penders, 21, Shines at Anfield While Fofana’s Mistakes Cost Blues the Match

October 29, 2026 sportnow XABI ALONSO departed Anfield feeling frustrated after witnessing his former club, Liverpool, triumph over Chelsea in a thrilling penalty shootout, where Wesley Fofana missed the crucial kick.

A tense first half was marked by two penalties, with Moises Caicedo fouled in the box, allowing Morgan Rogers to score the opening goal just before half-time, filling in for Cole Palmer.

However, three minutes later, Liverpool equalized with a penalty of their own.

A dreadful handball by Wesley Fofana after a corner allowed Cody Gakpo to step up and level the match.

Liverpool created more opportunities in the second half, bringing on all of their £100million signings: Florian Wirtz, Bradley Barcola, and Alexander Isak, yet they failed to secure a winner, leading to penalties.

The tension mounted when Valentin Barco hit the post with Chelsea’s fourth penalty, but Kostas Tsimikas then spooned his shot well over the bar, sending the match into sudden death.

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Fofana the villain as Reds edge nervy shootout

Chelsea missed a chance to win the shootout at 5-5 when Giorgi Mamardashvili denied Emanuel Emegha, right after Mike Penders saved Alexander Isak’s attempt.

Ultimately, it was Wesley Fofana who failed to convert the decisive penalty, resulting in a 6-5 victory for the Reds in the shootout.

SunSport’s Chelsea reporter Lloyd Canfield has provided ratings for the Chelsea players…

He couldn’t do much about Cody Gakpo’s equalizer, which found the bottom left corner, but he made two remarkable saves—one from point-blank range against Ronaldo Araujo, and another to deny Bradley Barcola with thirty minutes left on the clock.

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Confident with the ball, he also stopped Alexander Isak to help secure the shootout win for the Blues.

Josh Acheampong seemed well-equipped to manage former Cobham talent Rio Ngumoha, and he performed adequately, despite receiving a booking for one foul.

While Ngumoha proved to be a handful, Acheampong also could have contributed more offensively, but he was solid defensively.

It took just two minutes and twelve seconds for Wesley Fofana to concede a penalty for a handball shortly after Chelsea’s own penalty. It was a foolish mistake.

His performance didn’t improve notably after that, leaving Chelsea fans frustrated, especially since Maxence Lacroix’s injury means Fofana is likely to start against Manchester United next match. His missed decisive penalty and poor display rounded off a lamentable night.

Fans of Chelsea and Xabi Alonso were disheartened to see Lacroix exit the field just before half-time due to what appeared to be a hamstring injury. He was strong in the air and made several clearances before leaving the match.

He displayed a good pass to Caicedo, resulting in the first penalty, but his overall performance was lackluster.

A dramatic dive in the second half nearly cost Chelsea, leading to him controversially removing his own boot in protest, and he was substituted for Marco Palestra shortly after.

This was a disappointing display from someone who has had limited minutes under Alonso this season.

As Chelsea’s strongest midfielder, he formed a solid partnership with Romeo Lavia, winning the penalty that led to the first goal.

He excelled at maintaining possession, although at times he lingered on the ball, and played a key role in evading Liverpool’s press.

Romeo Lavia was always ready to face Liverpool, but he tended to make too many sideways passes. The team needed him to advance the ball more in the first half, especially since they fielded a three-man midfield, and he received a yellow card for a needless foul on Ngumoha.

Sections of Anfield booed Jordan Henderson with each touch, as he seemed inclined to take Morgan Rogers’ penalty against his old club.

He displayed leadership and steadiness in midfield but failed to provide anything exceptional during another Anfield return.

While this might have been acceptable, the Blues required more creativity from him as the most advanced member of their midfield trio.

Neto was preferred over Estevao, who has performed well against Liverpool in the past—a decision that may have been questionable from Xabi Alonso.

He lacked support from Acheampong behind him but needed to be more proactive offensively with a relatively tame Chelsea attack.

He scored the opener from the penalty spot with expert precision in the absence of Cole Palmer.

However, he didn’t exhibit the same form we’ve come to expect this season without Joao Pedro and Palmer by his side.

His creativity and physical presence improved as the match progressed, and he should have registered an assist if not for a great save by Mamardashvili denying a chance for substitute Marco Palestra.

He found it difficult to make an impact during the first half and didn’t pose much pressing threat against a generally comfortable Liverpool defense.

He was substituted for Emanuel Emegha after 67 minutes, leaving little impression during his time on the pitch.

Colwill was solid in defense following Lacroix’s injury and showed proficiency in playing from the back. He also converted a well-taken penalty in the shootout.

All expectations were on Emegha as he made his long-anticipated Chelsea debut in the absence of Joao Pedro, but his impact was minimal upon replacing Welbeck.

He showed glimpses of decent skill but failed to instill much hope in Chelsea supporters, especially in what was a challenging debut situation against a spirited Anfield atmosphere.

He will be disappointed for missing a penalty opportunity that could have clinched victory at Anfield.

He deserves credit for ensuring Chelsea maintained a level of performance with him on the pitch in place of Moises Caicedo, consistently presenting himself as an option for teammates and working hard in defense.

Immediately made a stronger impression than Malo Gusto, nearly putting his side ahead with a close-range strike towards the end of the match.