Federico Chiesa has struggled for game time at Liverpool this season but the Italian has shown he can be a valuable asset if given the opportunity to impress
10:42, 19 Mar 2025
Federico Chiesa scored for Liverpool in the dying stages of their Carabao Cup final defeat to Newcastle United
Federico Chiesa scored for Liverpool in the dying stages of their Carabao Cup final defeat to Newcastle United(Image: Offside via Getty Images)
Liverpool fans might be feeling a sense of deja vu when they look at an underused superstar at Anfield.
A 26-year-old seasoned attacker with a major European title under his belt, brought to Anfield for a surprisingly low fee, only to be rarely seen as the Reds battle for the Premier League crown.
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Think Xherdan Shaqiri, a Champions League winner, and now Federico Chiesa, Italy's hero of the European Championships.
Their situations are similar but not identical. Shaqiri, for instance, was regularly involved before his continued absence from the bench during much of the second half of the season sparked intense speculation among Liverpool supporters.
The Swiss player also had the advantage of Premier League experience with his former club Stoke City, while Chiesa's early months were largely about adapting and making up for a lost pre-season after being sidelined towards the end of his tenure at Juventus.
Federico Chiesa of Liverpool
Federico Chiesa has not been given many opportunities by Arne Slot at Liverpool(Image: Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/Getty Images)
However, this doesn't fully explain why the Italian has been so infrequently used by Arne Slot since joining in a deal that could ultimately cost Liverpool £12.5million, reports the Liverpool Echo.
As a transfer gamble, it was a no-brainer at that price. But Slot's reluctance to give Chiesa game time was thrown into sharp relief over the weekend when, in an energetic cameo from the bench in the League Cup final defeat to Newcastle United, the now 27-year-old scored a superb goal, giving Liverpool hope of an unlikely comeback during injury time.
Certainly, neither Darwin Nunez nor Diogo Jota seem likely to have been in the right spot to capitalise on Harvey Elliott's tempting pass, much less possess the confidence to finish with such precision.
This was only Chiesa's 11th outing of the season. In fact, he's only had three short cameos in the Premier League, clocking up just under 30 minutes. Across all competitions, the forward has been in the starting line-up a mere three times.
Yet, despite the limited game time, with two goals and two assists in 387 minutes, Chiesa is making his mark with a goal contribution every 97 minutes. Among Liverpool players this season, only Mohamed Salah boasts a better rate.
Still, Liverpool's comfortable lead at the top by 12 points indicates they've managed quite well without him. And while Slot has voiced concerns about Chiesa's intensity levels, his reluctance to rotate key squad areas has led to some lacklustre recent displays and made it tough for fringe players to shine instantly.
Slot himself acknowledged this issue recently. "If you look at our schedule in the past three-four months, if for example we play on Saturday and then Tuesday, the ones who played on Saturday are only doing recovery sessions and are not on the pitch," he said.
"Then it's the day before the game and it's 10-15 minutes of tactics, more walking football than playing football. So there is hardly a moment when they can compete with each other. For the ones that don't start, it's not an ideal world we have so many games."
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Speaking on Chiesa's lack of playing time, he previously said: "In terms of Federico, it definitely has to do with the way he came in. I don’t know the English words… the rest were already training a lot and we had to bring him up in terms of match fitness.
"So, it’s a combination of reasons why he didn’t play that much yet, but let’s wait and see in the upcoming weeks and months if he’s able to help us, because the second half of the season is even more important than the first half."
Chiesa finds himself as somewhat of a substitute to talisman Salah on the right wing. But the Reds' forwards like Nunez, Jota, and Luis Diaz have been short on goals since January and Gakpo's recent absence ought to have opened doors for Chiesa.
He can play down the middle as a number nine and may be considered for a role there in the coming weeks.
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Taking a leaf from Shaqiri's book, counting out Chiesa would be premature, given the Swiss international stayed at Liverpool for a further two years, bagging another Champions League title with the Reds and starring in the epic semi-final Barcelona turnaround.
Liverpool now turn their ambitions to sealing success in the Premier League rather than European glory, with the latest showing at Wembley suggesting Chiesa might just get his shot at leaving an imprint in England's top tier and perhaps secure his Anfield future well past this summer.