Xabi Alonso and Chelsea had another night to forget on Wednesday as they crashed out of the Carabao Cup.

The Blues lost 6-5 to Liverpool on penalties at Anfield after the fourth round tie ended 1-1. It comes after Alonso’s side lost 2-0 to Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League.

For some, it was just a cup game. They will not want to read too much into it. However, there were some performances from that match that simply cannot be overlooked and should force Chelsea to act in the transfer window when it opens in January.

Chelsea now need to prioritise signing a new central defender as well as a midfielder

After failing to replace Enzo Fernandez in the last transfer window, it has become common knowledge that Chelsea will try to sign a new midfielder this winter. Alex Scott is Chelsea’s top target, but after Wednesday, it is quite clear that the club also need to be looking at a new central defender.

Wesley Fofana was far from convincing, and that has been the case for a while now. It was Fofana who allowed Liverpool back into the game when he gave away a penalty for a silly handball before missing the decisive spot-kick in the shootout.

At this point, Chelsea supporters are fed up with the Frenchman, who has lost his spot in the starting XI to Josh Acheampong. Of course, with Alonso playing three at the back, it may not be long before Fofana is restored to the first XI in the Premier League, especially with Maxence Lacroix picking up an injury at Anfield. However, since arriving at Chelsea from Leicester City in 2022, Fofana has proven that he is not reliable.

The 25-year-old has had so many injuries, and when he has played, his defending has not been up to scratch for a £70m centre-half. Fofana has been part of a Chelsea backline that has really struggled this term and has contributed to their frailties.

According to FotMob, Chelsea are conceding 1.9 goals per match in the Premier League, which puts them in the bottom three. They have conceded the most set-piece goals (six) and are having to make far too many saves in their games.

Chelsea are currently making 4.1 saves per game, which is also the most in the division. When it comes to xG conceded, they have a total of 11.4 yet have actually conceded 15 goals. Fofana and co are allowing far too many shots at their goal and ultimately conceding too many goals. This defence needs upgrading, starting with the France international.

Of course, Chelsea’s defensive problems extend beyond Fofana’s individual mistakes. Their high goals-conceded rate, league-leading 4.1 saves per game and six goals conceded from set-pieces suggest wider issues with shot prevention, aerial defending and defensive organisation.

The difference between their 11.4 expected goals against and 15 goals actually conceded also raises questions about individual errors and goalkeeping performances. Before investing heavily in another centre-back, Chelsea must also identify whether their biggest weakness lies in personnel, tactical structure or a lack of protection from midfield. Addressing these underlying problems will be just as important as recruiting a defender if Alonso is to build a more reliable backline.