Arne Slot was pleased to see Federico Chiesa complete his first 90 minutes for Liverpool, following an encouraging display against PSV Eindhoven.
Slot rang the changes on Wednesday night, keeping key players wrapped in cotton wool, and it afforded Chiesa only his second start for the Reds.
The Italian produced a vibrant showing in Liverpool’s 3-2 defeat to PSV, winning the penalty that Cody Gakpo scored and looking a threat all evening.
In his post-match press conference, Slot spoke of his happiness at seeing Chiesa play all 90 minutes, when asked if it was a big step in the right direction.
“Yeah. And he got a knock with the penalty so that took him a few minutes before he got going again,” Slot said.
“But I think it’s been seven, eight or nine months ago – maybe even longer, I don’t know exactly – since he played 90.
“It’s the same for Jayden Danns, it was the same for James McConnell. So, we had quite a lot of players that were not used to playing so many minutes in the last six or seven months.
“So it’s especially for them also important that they make these 90 minutes and were able to keep competing during 90 minutes.
“OK, Jayden couldn’t manage to play the whole game, but Federico in the end was still sprinting, trying to do his work. So, positive.”
A lethal weapon from the bench?
Chiesa’s short Liverpool career has been forgettable to date, with injuries and a lack of match fitness holding him back.
His performance against PSV was encouraging, however, as he showed glimpses of the energetic, dangerous player who lit up Euro 2020 for Italy back in 2021.
Chiesa vs PSV
pic.twitter.com/4StqFq5PBW— 1947prod. (@1947prod) January 29, 2025
According to FotMob, Chiesa had the joint-most shots (two) for Liverpool, while no player on either team had more touches (seven) in the opposition box, highlighting his attacking involvement.
The 27-year-old will have to accept that he isn’t in Liverpool’s strongest XI this season, but that’s not to say he can’t still have a big impact.
Chiesa has the direct style that can cause tiring defences problems, and if he continues to improve his match sharpness, he could be a potent weapon in the second half of the campaign.
Avoiding injury is the first obstacle to avoid, however, having been plagued by them throughout his career.
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