Chelsea had two players waiting for Liverpool to bring the ball out from the back.
Danny Welbeck and Jordan Henderson formed the first line of pressure, making it difficult for Liverpool to find a straightforward pass through the middle. If Liverpool wanted to move forward, someone had to give the defenders another option.
Trey Nyoni was one of the players asked to help.
Rather than staying in midfield and waiting for the ball to reach him, the 19-year-old dropped deeper during Liverpool’s build-up. His movement helped create an extra passing option behind Chelsea’s first two defenders.
It wasn’t the kind of action that makes a highlight reel. There was no spectacular run or defence-splitting pass. Yet for a young midfielder trying to establish himself as a No.6, it was exactly the sort of responsibility that mattered.
Liverpool eventually drew 1–1 with Chelsea on 28 October and won their Carabao Cup tie 6–5 on penalties.
Nyoni played 82 minutes.
A month earlier, he had been talking about where he thought his Liverpool career might be heading. Against Chelsea, the club gave him a chance to show what he could actually do in that position.
A role he had been working towards
Back in September, Nyoni spoke about the way Andoni Iraola had been using him.
He said he had mainly been playing as a No.6 and believed that might be where the manager saw him. He was also happy to learn other midfield positions, including No.8.
It was an interesting comment because young midfielders often arrive in the first team with plenty of ability but no clearly defined job.
Nyoni could receive the ball, look forward and join the press. Those qualities had already made him an exciting prospect.
The harder part was finding out where they belonged in Liverpool’s midfield.
Playing as a No.8 gives a midfielder more opportunities to move towards the opposition penalty area. At No.6, the player often has to stay closer to the defenders, offer a safe passing route and recognise when going forward would leave the team exposed.
Nyoni’s willingness to attack space might help him in either position. Learning when to stay behind the ball would be especially important if Liverpool wanted him to become a holding midfielder.
MATCHIQ examined that possibility on 30 September.
At the time, the evidence suggested a direction rather than a settled decision. Nyoni had described his recent responsibilities, but Iraola had not announced that he was preparing him for a permanent No.6 role.
The next useful evidence would have to come from matches in which Liverpool actually depended on him to perform that job.
October gradually brought those opportunities.
Nyoni started against LASK in the Champions League, appeared during Liverpool’s comeback against Villarreal and later came on against Brighton.
In an interview before the Chelsea match, he also discussed a defensive intervention against Brighton. Liverpool had lost possession, and he reacted to block the danger.
For a player learning to operate in central midfield, that was as relevant as a successful forward pass. He had to recognise what happened when his team no longer had the ball.
Chelsea presented a different challenge. This time, Nyoni would be involved from the beginning.
Eighty-two minutes against Chelsea
Iraola changed seven players from the starting side that had beaten Brighton.
Nyoni was selected alongside Ryan Gravenberch and James McConnell in midfield. Rio Ngumoha and Lewis Koumas were also among the young players given an opportunity.
The selection gave Nyoni plenty to do.
Chelsea’s shape without the ball meant Liverpool had to work to open passing lanes. According to Squawka’s post-match analysis, Nyoni operated as the deepest midfielder in possession and sometimes dropped towards the first line of Liverpool’s build-up.
That movement helped Liverpool create a three-against-two advantage against Chelsea’s first pressing line.
The numbers were only part of the picture.
Kostas Tsimikas advanced on the left, Ngumoha moved inside at times, and Joe Gomez stepped forward in certain phases. Liverpool were trying to give the player on the ball more than one possible pass while stretching Chelsea’s defensive positions.
Nyoni’s job was to recognise where he was needed.
If the first passing route was crowded, dropping into another position could give his defenders somewhere to move the ball. If Chelsea followed him, that movement could also change the space available to his teammates.
He was working within a coordinated structure, with Gravenberch, McConnell and the players around him sharing the responsibility.
For Iraola, the useful development was that Nyoni could take part in this arrangement against an opponent capable of punishing mistakes in central areas.
The match remained competitive.
Chelsea went ahead through Morgan Rogers’ penalty after Moisés Caicedo was fouled. Three minutes later, Cody Gakpo equalised from the spot following Wesley Fofana’s handball.
At 1–1, Liverpool still had to find a way to win.
In the 58th minute, Iraola changed two players around Nyoni. Florian Wirtz replaced McConnell, while Bradley Barcola came on for Koumas.
Nyoni stayed on.
He continued until the 82nd minute, when Alexis Mac Allister finally replaced him.
The length of that assignment was significant. Nyoni had started against a strong opponent, taken part in Liverpool’s possession structure and remained involved while the manager adjusted the team.
Chelsea still created chances, and Giorgi Mamardashvili had important saves to make. Liverpool eventually needed the shootout to progress.
This was a demanding cup tie, not a comfortable victory in which the manager could give a youngster minutes without worrying about the result.
Iraola liked what he saw
After the match, Iraola praised Nyoni’s performance and spoke about the value of young players experiencing knockout football against strong opponents.
He also noted that Nyoni had finished in good physical condition.
Liverpool supporters later voted the midfielder their Player of the Match.
That was a welcome recognition, although the more important detail for Nyoni’s development was what the manager had asked him to do.
He had been given a substantial central-midfield assignment rather than a brief appearance at the end of the game.
There is a reason, though, not to rush the next conclusion.
Liverpool had rotated seven starters. Mac Allister and Wirtz began on the bench, so Nyoni’s opportunity came partly through the way Iraola managed his squad.
The manager had also said earlier in October that he could use Nyoni as either a six or an eight.
Those comments remain relevant. Chelsea provided evidence of one role Nyoni can perform; the match did not settle where he will play throughout his career.
There is also more to examine in his actual performance.
Squawka’s analysis helps explain how he participated in Liverpool’s build-up. It does not provide a complete account of every moment when Chelsea pressed him or Liverpool lost possession.
That defensive work is especially important for a No.6. A midfielder can help his team move forward, but he also has to protect the centre when the attack breaks down.
A fuller examination of those moments would tell us how far Nyoni has progressed towards handling the position independently.
The next selection will tell us more
The difference between September and October is now clear.
In September, Nyoni believed Iraola might be developing him as a No.6. MATCHIQ treated that as an encouraging sign, while leaving the long-term role open.
Against Chelsea, there was something more concrete: a competitive start, 82 minutes on the pitch and an identifiable job helping Liverpool play out from the back.
That gives the earlier assessment stronger support.
It also creates a more interesting selection decision.
Liverpool face Arsenal on 1 November. With experienced midfielders competing for places, Iraola must decide how much responsibility Nyoni is ready to carry in the next demanding match.
If Nyoni continues receiving central duties when those players are available, his claim will grow stronger. If he is used mainly as an No.8 or returns to occasional cup appearances, the picture will be different.
For now, Iraola has learned something useful about a young player he is trying to develop.
Nyoni has moved beyond explaining where he hopes to play. He is beginning to show Liverpool what he can offer there.
Sources and related reading
- Liverpool FC — Chelsea match report, 28 October 2026
- Liverpool FC — Iraola’s post-match press conference
- Squawka — Liverpool vs Chelsea tactical analysis
- Liverpool FC — Iraola on Nyoni’s maturity and midfield roles
- Liverpool FC — Nyoni on his development, 25 September 2026
- Liverpool FC — Nyoni interview, 27 October 2026
- Liverpool FC — Supporters’ Player of the Match
- MATCHIQ — Nyoni’s No.6 development assessment
- MATCHIQ — Liverpool’s youth trust assessment