Liverpool might have progressed to the fourth round of the FA Cup with a 4-1 win against Barnsley, but one player's performance was well below par on the night. And the club really need to consider making an upgrade on him.
The Reds took the lead on the night through Dominik Szoboszlai, who unleashed a rocket from outside the penalty area in spectacular fashion. And Arne Slot's team then doubled their advantage when Jeremie Frimpong notched Liverpool's second of the night.
However, the hosts were far from convincing on the night as Szoboszlai went from hero to zero when his careless backheel fell to Barnsley's Adam Phillips, who scored from close range. And the League One side continued to knock on the door for an equaliser, appealing for a penalty in the second half when Reyes Cleary went down in the box under the challenge from Szoboszlai, although nothing was given.
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Despite Barnsley's heroic effort, their Premier League opponents eventually put the game out of reach late on. First, Florian Wirtz curled in an excellent effort in the 84th minute, before Hugo Ekitike tapped home a fourth in added time.
Liverpool Need to Upgrade on Lacklustre Star
Liverpool players line up before facing Barnsley in the FA Cup.
Liverpool were made to work for their spot in the next round, where they will face Brighton. However, Slot will want much better from many players in his team, with a few potentially set to drop out of the line-up against the Seagulls.
One of those players simply has to be Federico Chiesa. Many fans have clamoured for him to get more minutes this season given the misfortunes of Mohamed Salah and others, but Monday night's cup tie ultimately proved why he's not been featuring more.
Liverpool's Federico Chiesa in action with Barnsley's Nathanael Ogbeta
Lining up on the right flank, the Italian international really struggled to make much of an impact. Although he did manage a key pass, he didn't complete any of his crosses or dribbles on the night, while he also failed to win any of his duels both on the turf or in the air.
There also simply wasn't enough threat in front of goal. Managing two shots against Barnsley, Chiesa saw both of those blocked - hardly the efficiency many would have expected from him against League One opposition.
Check Out Chiesa's Match Statistics Below:
Federico Chiesa vs Barnsley
Minutes Played
Key Passes
Crosses (Accurate)
Passing Accuracy
Total Shots
Shots on Target
Touches
Possession Lost
Defensive Contributions
Ground Duels (Won)
Aerial Duels (Won)
Tonight simply proved that there's a lack of suitable depth on the right flank. It's been amplified with Slot continuing to use an out-of-form Salah for much of the year, and with his replacement failing to really do much at all in the FA Cup, the club really need to find a suitable player who can step in on the right flank and potentially even take over from Liverpool's Egyptian King when he eventually leaves Anfield.
Supporters Slam Chiesa For Performance in Liverpool 4-1 Barnsley
Liverpool's Federico Chiesa during the warm up before facing Barnsley
Chiesa's shortcomings against Barnsley didn't go unnoticed by Liverpool supporters, who took to social media to voice their disapproval of the forward. One questioned why many had been screaming for him to start more games, stating: "Is everyone still up in arms that Chiesa doesn’t start? He’s genuinely awful."
Another echoed the final part of that statement, writing: "Chiesa is so bad it’s funny." And a fellow Liverpool fan followed up by writing: "Of all the valid criticisms people could throw at slot, I can’t believe people genuinely thought the biggest problem with him was not playing CHIESA."
One more supporter was slightly less harsh, pointing out that he was not playing in his preferred position. They wrote: "100% Chiesa is wasted on the right, it’s literally pointless playing him there."
A different fan added: "Package that Chiesa fella off to Italy. Abysmal signing." And a final Liverpool supporter said: "Chiesa on the right ain’t it man. A young left-footed RW to backup Salah is needed."