Xabi Alonso returned to Anfield as Chelsea were bowled out of the Carabao Cup by Liverpool, with the Spanish head coach making a controversial comment in the aftermath

Xabi Alonso has been criticised for suggesting that the Carabao Cup is the "least important competition" for Chelsea, after the Blues were bowled out of the competition by Liverpool on Wednesday evening.

The Spaniard made his first trip back to Anfield since taking up tenure in west London this summer, with hopes of advancing to the quarter-finals of the tournament.

Morgan Rogers opened the scoring for the visitors from the penalty spot on the 40 minute mark, only for Cody Gakpo to level matters from the exact same scenario three minutes later.

With the game remaining deadlocked after 90 minutes, a tense penalty shootout ensued in front of the Kop.

Liverpool ultimately won the decider 6-5, with Jorrel Hato skying his crucial spot kick high over the bar and into the stand behind Giorgi Mamardashvili's net.

Make sure you never miss the latest Chelsea news and opinion by making Football London one of your Google preferred sources.

In the aftermath, Alonso sparked fury among select supporters for suggesting that the Carabao Cup isn't all that important to Chelsea.

He told the press: "This is the least important competition for us, Premier League is the main focus."

FOLLOW OUR CHELSEA FB PAGE! Latest Blues news, analysis and much more via our dedicated Facebook page

That sentence set social media ablaze with tough criticism, with many Chelsea fans calling Alonso out on his opinion.

One wrote: "Is he serious?! Xabi I don’t know if you’ve realised or not but since BlueCo took over we’ve had a trophy drought.

"Without Champions League or any European football we have all the time to try and win these competitions, not dismiss them like they’re nothing. Imagine if Jose [Mourinho] said this in 2005..."

Another explained: "This is so poor from Alonso. Would I rather win the Premier League or FA Cup? Of course.

"But we haven’t won a domestic trophy since 2018. EIGHT YEARS! So when we’re playing one game a week, I don’t want to hear about competitions being less important.

"F*** that. We should be fighting for EVERY trophy. And try telling the fans who spend a fortune, took annual leave and got home in the early hours that the competition they’ve just travelled to watch is our 'least important.'

"That attitude really doesn't sit right with me. Not at Chelsea."

A third replied to that comment: "Yeah it was quite strange to hear a Chelsea manager speak in this manner. Even if you don’t rate a trophy, which is still bizarre to say it out loud. Every single trophy is important."

While Liverpool will now take on Bournemouth in the quarter-finals of the Carabao Cup in December, Chelsea will have the rest of the year to put their full focus into the Premier League.

Alonso's attention will now be firmly fixed on Saturday's 12.30pm kick-off with Manchester United on home soil.