Chelsea’s 2-0 loss to Tottenham Hotspur over the weekend was Xabi Alonso’s worst moment as Blues boss so far.

Alonso got his tactics and team selection wrong on the night, resulting in Chelsea getting absolutely dominated and beaten by their fierce rivals. Unsurprisingly, that did not go down well with the Chelsea supporters.

The good news is that the Blues have an opportunity to quickly bounce back. They face Alonso’s former side Liverpool in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday.

If Chelsea want to win and make it to the next round, there is at least one change Alonso has to make.

Danny Welbeck has to start against Liverpool if Joao Pedro isn’t fit

Danny Welbeck did not start against Tottenham over the weekend, but he really should have. If Joao Pedro has not recovered from his injury, the 35-year-old should also get the nod at Anfield.

Rogers was completely ineffective leading the line. The England international did not hold the ball up as well as Pedro does, did not test Antonin Kinsky and was barely involved in the game. As per Sofascore, Rogers took just one shot, which was blocked, and only managed to complete 16 out of 22 passes, giving him a 73% pass success rate.

There is no doubt that a natural and proven striker like Welbeck would have had more opportunities. He has been on fire in the Carabao Cup this season, scoring three goals in two games, and deserved a chance.

If Alonso is not going to play Welbeck when Pedro is not fit, then when is he? Much was said about Welbeck adding experience to Chelsea’s young dressing room when he arrived, but the forward is still a capable footballer on the pitch.

It was a real surprise to find out he would not be starting despite Pedro’s unavailability. Hopefully, Alonso can quickly learn from his failed Rogers experiment and the other mistakes he made on Saturday. That would mean starting Welbeck up front this Wednesday if Pedro does miss out again.