2 days ago
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Arne Slot has been told he must "dislike" Federico Chiesa to give him such little game time for Liverpool.
Chiesa joined Liverpool a year ago but has only started one Premier League game, and that came last season – after the title had already been wrapped up.
Despite putting in some sharp performances off the bench, and registering five direct goal contributions in all competitions, Chiesa has been unable to break his way into the line-up.
Chiesa came off the bench in Liverpool's draw with Sunderland on Wednesday night, and produced a goal-saving clearance to prevent the Black Cats from winning the game at the death.
After the game, Liverpool-supporting former EFL striker Adebayo Akinfenwa took to X to expressed his bemusement at Chiesa not being handed a chance from the start.
"I gotta say this, Slot really must dislike Chiesa cause it seems like there is nothing he can do to get more playing time," Akinfenwa wrote. "It’s a shame cause he seems like he epitomises the Liverpool way."
Slot was asked about Chiesa's goal-saving intervention in his post-game press conference on Wednesday, which came about after the Italian sprinted back 70 yards to prevent Sunderland striker Wilson Isidor from turning the ball into an empty net after rounding Alisson.
Slot said: "Yeah, I think in the final minutes of the game we were close, in my opinion, to making the 2-1 because we had a few set-pieces, were constantly around their box.
"They couldn't actually come out of that situation anymore. But then from one of those set-pieces, from the second phase we brought the ball in and their goalkeeper caught the ball, I looked up and I saw a player of theirs completely free at the halfway line.
"The good thing from Fede was that he could have thought, 'Ah, it's nothing for me to do anymore, I'm so far away from the situation.'
"But he kept sprinting and Ali [Alisson Becker] moved him to the outside, and as a result of that Fede could clear the ball off the line, which was I think the minimum we deserved tonight and the minimum his effort deserved as well.
"I mean with that, that the draw was the minimum we deserved tonight."
English (US) ·