Liverpool fans have made up their minds about one player following their Carabao Cup third-round win against Southampton.
Alexander Isak opened the scoring for the Reds, putting them on course to comfortably reach the fourth round.
However, former Manchester City academy graduate Shea Charles leveled the score for Southampton in the second half. Hugo Ekitike then scored from close range to put Southampton ahead 2-1, but was sent off after receiving a second yellow card for removing his shirt.
Arne Slot’s team entered the competition at this stage due to their European involvement, and the Dutch coach rested several key players.
Mohamed Salah, Ryan Gravenberch, and Virgil van Dijk were among those missing at Anfield, giving others a chance to play.
One of those players was Federico Chiesa, who has made just 18 appearances—mostly as a substitute—since joining Liverpool from Juventus last summer.
Chiesa was excluded from Liverpool’s Champions League squad by Slot and didn’t feature in the 2-1 Merseyside derby win over Everton on Saturday. Yet, he remains in the manager’s plans and was given an opportunity to impress against Southampton.
Liverpool supporters widely agree that Chiesa put on an impressive performance during the full 90 minutes at Anfield.
His intense pressure led to him intercepting goalkeeper Alex McCarthy’s poor pass, setting up Isak’s first goal for Liverpool.
He also provided a straightforward assist for Ekitike’s goal. The winger troubled Southampton with his direct runs and relentless off-the-ball work.
One fan commented on Chiesa’s first-half showing: “Federico Chiesa has been one of the standout performers this half, night and day compared to where he was against Plymouth [in the FA Cup fourth round] last year.”
Another said: “Federico Chiesa played a phenomenal half of football there. You can see he desperately wants to prove himself to Slot and make the Italy squad for the World Cup.”
A third added: “Chiesa’s best half of football for LFC. His work rate is ridiculous.”
While another wrote: “Chiesa is making a very strong case for more rotation opportunities with Salah. His work rate, pressing, and creativity have been excellent.”
And a fifth fan noted: “Not sure how Chiesa doesn’t get more minutes. He’s got so much quality.”
Leave a Reply