Federico Chiesa reality clear as Arne Slot faces new Liverpool decisions

Federico Chiesa was handed a rare chance to impress as Liverpool beat Wolves in the Premier League, but it remains to be seen when he will get another opportunity

Liverpool forward Federico Chiesa.(Image: James Gill - Danehouse/Getty Images)

For just the second time in the Premier League since he arrived from Juventus in 2023, Federico Chiesa found himself in the starting XI for Liverpool's game against Wolves on Saturday.

The Italian's only other start in that competition came in a meaningless defeat at Brighton at the end of last season when the league title was already wrapped up. Chiesa has, in general, been limited to only very sporadic appearances, most often from the bench.

To get his chance here, then, there were specific circumstances at play. Mohamed Salah normally plays on the right but he is at AFCON, while Dominik Szoboszlai was suspended.

Jeremie Frimpong, who played some of the game on the right wing, had to start at full-back because Conor Bradley was only just back from injury, and Alexander Isak being out meant the other attacking options were limited.

Given this was such a rare chance for Chiesa to impress — and it is unclear if and when his next one might come — he really needed to make more of an impression.

Sure, the 26-year-old was not given the luxury of easing himself into action. He will not get a run of games to get himself up to speed, with it being so long since his last start.

Federico Chiesa of Liverpool with Mohamed Salah(Image: Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images)

But in the context of this being one of the poorest Premier League teams of all time — at least when it comes to a points haul at this stage of the campaign — he could hardly complain.

If ever there was a game for Chiesa to be dropped into that he could make an impact, it was probably at home to Wolves in a period in which Liverpool has seemingly started to turn a corner.

Instead, though, Chiesa was unable to deliver much in the way of anything memorable. Arne Slot wasn't asked about his showing in his post-match interviews, more than anything because it was so unremarkable.

Frimpong, even before he moved forward into playing as a winger, was more effective in the final third. And, crucially, he adds some pace and dynamism in the Liverpool attack that Chiesa simply doesn't have.

That is not to say that Chiesa cannot still have a role to play. Moving forward, though, the argument that he should be starting games regularly doesn't add up.

A lot like the clamor for new signings — the stars who fans don't watch every week are always perceived to be better than the ones that they do — the reality doesn't necessarily match up with the imagined idea.

Chiesa is a more than capable player of changing things from the sidelines as an impact substitute. Against Wolves, however, we saw why he has been restricted to that role over the last 18 months or so.

Unless there is a similar lack of options in future matches, Chiesa being in the Liverpool line-up would be a surprise. The main call ahead of the visit of Leeds is Bradley or Frimpong, with Szobsozlai returning on the right.