Slot may have Liverpool dilemma to solve after what Chiesa did v PSV
Liverpool fell to a surprise defeat against PSV on Wednesday in their final Champions League group-stage game when they were defeated 3-2.
The two European powerhouses faced off with one another on 29 January and although the Reds had won every Champions League game before their clash against PSV, the Dutch outfit ended up leaving with all three points.
Not all of Liverpool’s first-team players started or even took part in the game, though, so some slack can be given to the Merseyside outfit for not coming out on top as Slot looked to rest many of his regular starters.
However, one man who really stepped up to the plate was Federico Chiesa. The Italian was brought in over the summer as a backup option for Slot’s forward line but, due to the injuries he’s suffered, the Italy international hasn’t been afforded that much of a chance to prove his worth.
His performance against PSV, however, put him on another level to most of his teammates and could have created a dilemma for the Dutchman about whether to start him against Bournemouth or not.
Federico Chiesa was one of the best players on the Liverpool squad
Even though the Merseyside outfit lost, Cody Gakpo and Chiesa more than proved their worth on the night.
In the 90 minutes the former Juventus man was on the pitch, he managed to have 48 touches of the ball and had two shots on target [Sofascore].
Chiesa also maintained a 68 per cent pass accuracy throughout the game while also completing 60 per cent of the dribbles he attempted.
However, one of the main things he did to spur Liverpool on was win the penalty that sent them 1-0 up in the first place.
Defensively, the attacker was also surprisingly solid after he won 11/18 of the ground duels he attempted and made four tackles.
He may have been dribbled past once and he may have also lost possession of the ball 15 times but when you’re as involved as the Italian was in the game, you’re bound to lose the ball a number of times.
In other Liverpool news, West Ham could make an approach for a Reds youngster before the transfer window closes.
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