Federico Chiesa verdict given after Liverpool forward scores first Reds goal against Accrington Stanley

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There were so many positives for Liverpool on Saturday as they beat Accrington Stanley 4-0.

The Reds were always likely to progress into the fourth round of the FA Cup, as they came up against fourth tier opposition at Anfield.

And as well as the comfortable nature of the result, there was plenty for Arne Slot to be pleased about.

One of the biggest positives was the sight of Federico Chiesa getting his first ever Liverpool goal in front of the Kop late on.

Chiesa had been expected to start against Accrington, but despite only coming on at half-time, the 27-year-old really caught the eye.

After coming close several times, Chiesa finally got his goal, angling a low, long-range effort in off the post. And having seen the Italian get off the mark, former Leicester winger Marc Albrighton was full of praise for Chiesa.

Federico Chiesa hailed for ‘fantastic’ goal

It was disappointing to see that Slot had not deemed Chiesa ready to start Saturday’s game.

With 16-year-old Rio Ngumoha picked instead, it felt like yet another blow to the Italy international’s chances of staying at Anfield.

Nevertheless, once he came on, Chiesa looked hungry to make a difference. And make a difference he did.

Commenting on the No.14’s late goal for BBC Sport, Albrighton labelled Chiesa as being ‘fantastic.’

READ MORE: Liverpool given early verdict on Rio Ngumoha just minutes into senior debut against Accrington Stanley

“Fantastic strike from Federico Chiesa, he has done well to find himself in that position,” said the Premier League winner.

“It goes in the far corner and it is a fantastic finish. That is the icing on the cake for Liverpool.”

Chiesa shows he’s still got plenty to offer

In the lead up to the game there have been plenty of rumours that Chiesa could leave Liverpool this January.

As Rousing The Kop reported on Thursday, Liverpool are weighing up a move for Khvicha Kvaratskhelia.

It’s understood that with Napoli showing interest in Chiesa, the Reds have the potential option for a swap deal with the Italian side.

However, Chiesa showed on Saturday that despite his slow start to life at Liverpool, he still has plenty to offer.

Hopefully there are more minutes on the agenda for the former Juventus man and he can start to show his quality on a regular basis.