Published Sep 10, 2026, 7:10 AM GMT+1

At one stage, it appeared as though Daniel Farke’s men would be set for a place in the fourth round, after being two goals ahead just after the first half interval.

However, Xabi Alonso’s inspired substitutions at the break handed the Blues a route back into the encounter, subsequently scoring four goals in just 12 second-half minutes.

The Whites faithful will certainly be disappointed to have lost the game by three goals after being two goals ahead, with one player failing to deliver during the clash at Stamford Bridge.

Why Dan James needs to be dropped after Chelsea

As was the case for Leeds’ clash at Nottingham Forest in the last round of the cup, Farke decided to utilise winger Daniel James in a right-wing-back role.

The Welsh international managed to catch the eye in such a position during the previous round, but it’s safe to say he was exposed in such an unnatural position last night.

He was far more ineffective with the ball when in attacking areas of the pitch, subsequently failing to complete any of the three dribbles he attempted at the Bridge.

Even when picking out a teammate, James struggled to provide the desired effect, as seen by his 58% pass completion rate - which saw him give possession back to the opposition 11 times.

Without the ball is where the 28-year-old was most exposed, as he gave away a penalty which handed the hosts their route back into the clash just minutes after going two goals ahead.

James also failed to make any interceptions, blocks or tackles during the defeat, which saw Alonso’s side often enjoy success down the left-hand side of the pitch.

His inability to produce the goods without the ball was also evident in his ground duels tally, which saw him come out second best in 87% of the battles he entered.

Leeds star was just as bad as Dan James

After such a showing, Leeds boss Farke has been presented with further evidence of his strong starting eleven for the remainder of the Premier League campaign.

Countless squad options were handed a chance to impress in West London last night, but were ultimately unable to take advantage of the chance handed their way.

James is one player who certainly falls into such a category, but there’s no denying he wasn’t alone in failing to impress during the Carabao Cup thrashing against Alonso’s men.

Midfielder Sean Longstaff was also handed the chance to start a game for just the second time this term, but like the Welshman, squandered the golden chance handed to him.

The 28-year-old, who joined from Newcastle United last summer, featured for 67 minutes of the clash on Wednesday night before being replaced by Ao Tanaka.

Such a decision was undoubtedly justified, with the Englishman’s underlying stats from the encounter showcasing his struggles against a higher-quality opponent.

Longstaff was unable to create any big chances from his deep-lying positions, whilst only making three of his 27 passes into the final third of the pitch.

Such numbers showcase his passive nature when having the ball at his feet, which often saw the midfielder play safe passes - often going backwards to maintain possession.

He also failed to complete any of his attempted dribbles or crosses last night, whilst registering fewer touches than goalkeeper Michael Zetterer, as seen by their respective tallies of 42 and 54.

Without the ball, the Englishman also struggled to provide the goods, subsequently failing to make any interceptions and only coming out on top of 50% of his ground duels.

Longstaff was undoubtedly a solid squad option to have around during Leeds’ first season back in the Premier League, but it’s clear he’s no longer at the level required for success.

He and James ultimately aren’t at the level needed if the club are to make the jump and be a competitive top-half side - with Farke desperately needing to axe the pair from his first-team plans.