Liverpool thrashed Accrington Stanley 4-0 in the third round of the FA Cup at Anfield last Saturday, January 11. While the mighty Reds’ win over their lowly rivals was never really in doubt even before the match started, what stood out was the fact that Federico Chiesa scored his first goal for them—a very welcomed Liverpool boost.
Chiesa was signed last summer by the Premier League club from Juventus, but has spent the majority of his stint with his new club on the sidelines nursing an injury. Saturday’s goal thus ended a barren spell for the 27-year-old Italian winger for his new club.
Chiesa can replace Salah at times to give Liverpool boost
Liverpool have a few forwards, each of whom is comfortable playing on the left flank, like Luis Diaz, Diogo Jota and Cody Gakpo. Even Darwin Nunez prefers to play through the inside-left channel, which means the Reds have lacked a genuine right-winger aside from their talisman Mohamed Salah.
Chiesa can play on the right flank and can deputize for Salah at times. His return from injury should mean a lot for the Reds, as they now have another genuine option to play on the right side. Liverpool have played Harvey Elliott as the substitute on the right flank in the past, but he is not a typical winger.
Hence, Chiesa’s ability to cut in from the right side is going to add another dimension to Liverpool’s attack. He has very slim chance of playing on the right as long as Salah is fit, but could easily be used as a substitute.
It will be up to Arne Slot to utilize Chiesa judiciously and also ensure that he is not injured once again. If the Italian is fit, Liverpool will definitely boast the greatest attack among the English clubs.
Liverpool should be eyeing a treble this season
The Reds have a decisive lead in the Premier League already, being six points ahead of second-placed Arsenal. With less than half the season to go, Arsenal should find the gap too big to bridge. However, Liverpool still have a few challenging fixtures to play in the Premier League.
Liverpool will travel to Nottingham Forest this week, which should be a very crucial and stiff test for them. Forest is one of the two teams to have beaten Liverpool this season. Hence, Liverpool will want to come back with at least a point from that match.
The Reds will also have to travel to Chelsea, Manchester City and Aston Villa, none of which is going to be an easy fixture for them. Moreover, there will be UEFA Champions League football for them, a tournament the Reds last won in 2019.
The Reds will have to exceed themselves in order to win the treble. However, winning the domestic double is very much within their reach at the moment. It will be a monumental achievement for Slot in his debut season as a manager in England, should his team be able to do so.
It remains to be seen whether Chiesa plays a crucial role in Liverpool achieving that milestone, and whether his Liverpool boost will be long-lasting.